Dec 3, 2008 5:48 pm US/Eastern
Study: Early Treatment Of Breast Cancer Important
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
Many early breast cancers are treated with surgery followed by localized radiation to reduce the risk of recurrence.
The treatments usually begin several weeks after surgery to give the area some time to heal. But a new study finds that waiting much longer than that may not only increase the risk of recurrence but also reduce survival.
When Elizabeth Morris was diagnosed with early breast cancer, she knew the clock was ticking. "As soon as I had the surgery," she said, "I didn't want to wait."
The 83-year-old made sure she was quickly treated with radiation. And a new study suggests that her fast action may help save her life.
Researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College found that for women over 64 with early breast cancer, delays in post surgical radiation significantly increased the chances the cancer would come back.
"We know from past experience that there are still probably cells hiding out somewhere in the breast, "explains Dr. Mary Katherine Hayes at New York Presbyterian Hospital and Weill Cornell Medical College. "If you wait a long, long time, you're allowing those cells that we know are there hiding somewhere to grow."
The study found that in stage one cancer patients, an eight week delay in radiation increased the recurrence rate by 40 percent. Women whose treatment was delayed by 12 weeks were 400 percent more likely to develop another breast tumor.
And researchers say, one in five older female patients is receiving delayed or even incomplete treatment, which lowers their survival rate. The women who didn't fully complete their radiation were 32 percent more likely to die.
A majority of the under-treated patients lived in areas with high poverty. "Their care isn't being coordinated very well, "says Dr. Heather Taffet Gold, PhD, Assistant Professor at Weill Cornell Medical College. "Or they don't know the importance of seeking and obtaining timely and complete radiation treatment."
Elizabeth says she is counting on her radiation. "I just really hope that the treatment will prevent it from coming back." She believes with proper care, you can beat cancer at any age.
For more information about the study, check out
EurekAlert.org.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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