Women with breast cancer after menopause could safely skip radiation therapy and opt for alternative hormonal treatments. Researchers from Emory University, in Atlanta (United States), have recently published a study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology in which 186 women between 50 and 60 years old were evaluated after undergoing a breast-conserving lumpectomy.
HR breast cancers at an early age comprise the majority of new cases. In this form of cancer, tumor cells carry receptors for estrogen and progesterone. After removal of the tumor, postmenopausal women with this type of tumor follow a treatment of radiotherapy and hormones. However, recent studies have shown that patients over 65 years of age could safely skip radiation therapy. What if this measure were effective with younger women? This is the hypothesis from which the Atlanta researchers started.
The research team presented the results of this research during the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. “Younger postmenopausal patients with stage 1 breast cancer who skip radiation therapy after breast-conserving surgery have a very low risk of disease recurrence within five years,” said Dr. Reshma Jagsi, Ph.D. chair of radiation oncology at Emory School of Medicine.
The women who participated in the sample had been diagnosed with HR or HER2- cancers, the hormonal markers that make up 87% of new cases. The researchers subjected them to a series of genetic tests to measure the likelihood of tumor recurrence after lumpectomy. Those patients whose tests suggested a low risk of recurrence were given the option to skip radiation therapy and continue hormonal treatments for five years.
As a result, 100% of patients had survived five years after surgery and only 1% were experiencing a relapse at that time. Although the researchers concluded that these findings provide valuable information to women when making decisions, they admit that five years is an early time for these patients and believe in the convenience of continuing long-term follow-up.
“Studies like this are important to identify ways to improve the patient experience and help them regain the sense of control that a cancer diagnosis can seem to take away, as well as to ensure that all patients are informed and empowered to make the decisions they are right for them,” Dr. Jagsi added in a press release.
