Some women diagnosed with early breast cancer can now safely skip chemotherapy treatment, according to recent clinical findings. MPB's Ashley Norwood reports.
Almost seventy-percent of women with common types of early breast cancer do not benefit from chemotherapy, according to the National Cancer Institute. The clinical trial called TAILORx looked at women with HR-positive, HER2-negative, node-negative breast cancer. It found that treatment with chemotherapy and hormone therapy after surgery is not more likely to decrease cancer reoccurrence than treatment with hormone therapy alone.
Dr. Barbara Craft is an oncologist at the University of Mississippi Medical Center.
"Certainly when we treat a breast cancer patient with early-stage disease we want cure and we want long-term cure and we want them to go back to being their normal self and living their lives and enjoying milestones, and enjoying birthdays and things like that," said Craft.
The study shows thirty-percent of those women are more likely to benefit from chemotherapy.
Brenda, who prefers not to use her last name, shares her experience surviving breast cancer.
"I was diagnosed in 2012 with triple negative breast cancer and just had a lumpectomy had the radiation and the chemo. And then, this February I was diagnosed with another triple negative. The kind I've got, you treat with radiation and you treat with chemo," said Brenda.
Craft is encouraging Mississippians with breast cancer to talk to their doctors about the options.
"This is one piece of the puzzle and every patient is different. Lots of factors come into play. Like I said this doesn't eliminate chemo for everyone. If they are high-risk, they will still get chemo," said Craft.
According to the state department of health, women diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer have a higher survival rate. Ashley Norwood, MPB News.
