When most people think about treatments that are available to treat cancer, they think of the trio of chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery. That said, does it really need to be this way? As it turns out, breast cancer chemo might be unnecessary in many cases, according to a large US study. Keep reading to learn more about this very important topic.
An Interesting New Study
According to the CBC, the majority of women who have been diagnosed with the most common type of early stage breast cancer can actually avoid breast cancer chemo by simply skipping it altogether. The best part is that doing so is considered safe, and it will not adversely affect a woman’s odds of beating the cancer. This information has been released to the public, thanks to a study that utilized genetic tests in order to assess a patient’s risk.
Just Surgery and Hormone Therapy
If women who have been diagnosed with certain breast cancers can avoid having to go through chemotherapy, that’s wonderful news. However, the question then becomes: what treatments should they undergo instead? Well, Dr. Joseph Sparano, the leader of the study, claims that many women can do well with a combination of surgery and hormone therapy. In other words, receiving chemo would be considered unnecessary.
Alternatives to Chemotherapy
Women today have other options than chemotherapy when it comes to putting cancer into remission. Doctors are favoring other treatments, such as hormone blockers, immune system treatments, and gene-targeting therapies, so that the harsh effects of chemo can be avoided. Furthermore, if breast cancer chemo is found to be necessary, doctors sometimes choose to prescribe it at lower doses or for shorter lengths of time than in the past.
Some Patients Can Avoid Chemo!
Every cancer patient is an individual, and there are many different types of cancer, including various types of breast cancer, that a woman can be diagnosed with. Therefore, although this research is promising, it is important to keep in mind that the study concluded breast cancer chemo might not be necessary for women who have been diagnosed with early-stage cancer that is hormone-positive and hasn’t spread into the lymph nodes. A patient must still work closely with her doctor to determine which treatments would be most effective for her, based on her diagnosis.
As more research is conducted, doctors will be able to determine when chemo is truly necessary and when it could be avoided. It will be exciting to see where new studies take us.