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The ineffectiveness of chemotherapy in breast cancer
The ineffectiveness of chemotherapy in breast cancer
Mammology - Breast surgery
The ideal treatment for breast cancer should combine all the complete destruction of cancer cells in the body and thus with the lowest risk of recurrence. However, it is necessary to think about the side effects that reduce quality of life.
In young patients with breast cancer is characterized by a more aggressive course, so in these patients chemotherapy - an important component of treatment. The study, which will be discussed, it is argued that young women with hormone-dependent breast cancer chemotherapy does not give a real positive effect. However, this treatment is very successfully used in patients with hormone-negative cancers. To such conclusion the researchers came from several recent studies.
The fact that the key point in patients with hormone-positive breast cancer is to reduce the levels of estrogen and progesterone in the blood.
To do this, use the following methods:
The suppression of ovarian function with the help of medication or exposure to radiation.
Surgical removal of the ovaries (oophorectomy).
Drugs that block the effect of sex hormones on tumor cells, or blocking the synthesis of these hormones.
The study involved 480 patients with early stage breast cancer. All had retained menstrual cycle, all were younger than 40 years. Mean follow-up was 7.6 years.
Among patients with hormone-dependent cancers, survival was significantly higher compared with those who had hormone-independent form.
However, among those patients who received a long course of adjuvant chemotherapy, the difference in the degree of survival was minimal (survival rate 70% and 75% respectively, while the frequency of recurrence-free period, 59% and 70% respectively).
These results suggest that chemotherapy is very effective in patients with hormone-negative cancers, whereas in patients with hormone-positive cancers, it had no special significance.
Reduction of chemotherapy in some cases
After surgical removal of tumors of the breast in order to reduce the risk of relapse receive chemotherapy. One of the most frequent combination chemotherapy is Adriamycin (doxorubicin), Cytoxan (cyclophosphamide) and Taxol (paclitaxel).
In the following study conducted proved that the use of Taxol chemotherapy in patients with early breast cancer (hormone-positive and HER2-negative), did not have any advantages. Although the researchers and do not recommend changing standard of care, yet they consider it necessary to draw attention to this fact the doctors.
The results showed that taxol was effective for HER2-positive cancers: risk of recurrence in this case was reduced by 41%. It is important to note that the study was conducted only in relation to earlier forms of cancer. Taxol is also effective in the treatment of metastatic breast cancer.
In addition, it should be noted that this study concerned only patients treated with Taxol. In addition to the group of taxanes Taxol and related drugs such as Taxotere and abraksan.
