Doctors able to predict chance of breast cancer returningNovember 07, 2006Doctors have created a first-ever computer tool to predict the risk of breast cancer returning in the same breast over a 10-year period in women who have had breast conserving surgery to remove only the cancer (lumpectomy), according to a study presented November 6, 2006, at the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology's 48th Annual Meeting in Philadelphia. "Our tool provides physicians with information regarding the risk of breast cancer returning in the same breast for any individual patient, which can then help them evaluate the potential benefit of additional treatments needed to cure the cancer, including radiation therapy," said Mona Sanghani, M.D., lead author of the study and an oncologist at Tufts-New England Medical Center in Boston. "This predictive tool, however, must be validated by independent clinical data before it is widely used." For patients with early stage breast cancer, the current standard treatment involves breast conserving surgery followed by radiation therapy to the breast over a six to eight week period to kill any remaining cancer cells.
Researchers developed a formula that takes into account all of the risk factors associated with breast cancer coming back in the same breast after breast conserving surgery, such as the age of the patient at the time of treatment, the size and grade of the cancer, if lymphatic vessels are affected, and the use of chemotherapy or hormone therapy. With the help of a Web-based computer tool, doctors are able to determine by this formula how much a patient will be at risk for their cancer returning, along with how much a patient will benefit from radiation therapy. American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Related Breast Cancer News Articles M. D. Anderson study finds change in HER2 status after treatment with Herceptin Researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center have discovered that when treated with Herceptin prior to surgery, 50 percent of HER2 positive, breast cancer patients showed no signs of disease at the time of surgery. M. D. Anderson study finds racial disparities in radiation therapy rates for breast cancer Black women are less likely than white women to receive radiation therapy after a lumpectomy, the standard of care for early stage breast cancer, according to a new study by researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. New nano device detects immune system cell signaling Scientists have detected previously unnoticed chemical signals that individual cells in the immune system use to communicate with each other over short distances. CSHL scientists identify new drug target against virulent type of breast cancer Tumor cells in a particular subset of breast cancer patients churn out too much of a protein called ErbB2 -- also often called HER2 -- which drives the cells to proliferate unchecked. Patients unlucky enough to be in this group -- about one in four -- have poorer prognoses and clinical outcomes than those who don't. Dense tissue promotes aggressive cancers New research may explain why breast cancer tends to be more aggressive in women with denser breast tissue. Breast cancer cells grown in dense, rigid surroundings step up their invasive activities, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center investigators report in the Sept. 9 issue of Current Biology. Women exposed to negative life events at greater risk of breast cancer: BGU study Happiness and optimism may play a role against breast cancer while adverse life events can increase the risk of developing the disease. Hormone replacement therapy improves sleep, sexuality and joint pain in older women One of the world's longest and largest trials of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) has found that post-menopausal women on HRT gain significant improvements in quality of life. Positive thinking may protect against breast cancer Feelings of happiness and optimism play a positive role against breast cancer. Research published today in the open access journal BMC Cancer suggests that while staying positive has a protective role, adverse life events such as the loss of a parent or close relative, divorce or the loss of a spouse can increase a woman's risk of developing the disease. Anti-tumor effects are enhanced by inhibiting 2 pathways rather than 1 Two independent research groups have found that simultaneous inhibition of two signaling pathways resulted in substantially enhanced antitumor effects in mouse models of prostate and breast cancer. In an accompany commentary, Steven Grant, at Virginia Commonwealth University Health Science Center, Richmond, discusses the clinical importance of these studies and highlights some of the questions that still need to be answered. Why a common treatment for prostate cancer ultimately fails Some of the drugs given to many men during their fight against prostate cancer can actually spur some cancer cells to grow, researchers have found. The findings were published online this week in a pair of papers in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. More Breast Cancer News Articles |
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