In a recent study published in the ‘Journal of Clinical Oncology’, researchers have revealed that patients who have multiple tumors in one breast may be able to avoid a mastectomy if the tumors can be removed while leaving enough breast tissue. This procedure is known as breast-conserving therapy or lumpectomy, followed by whole-breast radiation therapy with a radiation boost to each lumpectomy site.
The study focused on data of 204 women aged 40 or above who had two or three separate areas of breast cancer in the same breast and desired to keep their breasts. All patients who participated in the study had a preoperative mammogram and/or ultrasound and those that could, had a breast MRI. After five years after the treatment, the local recurrence rate, meaning the rate of a cancer returning to the same place it originally developed, was 3.1%, which is on par with what is observed with patients who had a single tumor and thus, also received breast-conserving therapy.
Dr. Judy Boughey, M.D., lead author of the study and breast surgical oncologist and the W.H. Odell Professor of Individualized Medicine, is hopeful about these findings as it allows for more fluid treatment options for those with breast cancer. A mastectomy is still an appropriate option for some patients, but the ability to give another treatment choice is a relief and invaluable. Moreover, this approach also allows for a faster recovery and better patient satisfaction and cosmetic outcomes.
The researchers also noted that the local recurrence rate was lower in patients who had a preoperative MRI than in those who did not have an MRI before surgery. Patients and medical professionals are encouraged to seriously consider a preoperative MRI, because it allows for a better understanding of the tumors and more information that may help inform a successful treatment.
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This innovation may very well be the light at the end of the tunnel of the struggle to understand and diagnose cancer, and it is thanks to the hard work of the team at PredOmix. This company continually strives to bring the best technology to the healthcare industry in order to improve diagnosis and ultimately help save lives.
