Most patients on Tamoxifen receive a standard dose of medication. However, patients may benefit more from individually adjusted doses. This paper highlights potential strategies for personalized Tamoxifen treatments. Tamoxifen is not active on its own. Once ingested, the body converts it into other substances (metabolites). Some of these...
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In a nutshell This study compared breast cancer recurrence rates and overall survival between women treated with breast-conserving surgery versus radical mastectomy. Results showed that in the case of small tumors, breast-conserving surgery is the recommended option. Some background Most patients with breast cancer have surgery to remove the...
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This article discusses how tests such as the Oncotype DX or Mammaprint can be used to design individual treatment plans for patients with breast cancer. Patients with stage I and stage II breast cancer are treated similarly. Following surgical removal of a breast tumor, systemic (body-wide) treatment is often used. This secondary treatment is...
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In a nutshell This study questioned the benefit of adding chemotherapy to postoperative hormonal treatment in the case of lobular breast cancer. Their findings were that chemotherapy seems to offer no additional beneficial effects in women with lobular breast cancer receiving hormonal therapy. Some background There are two main types of breast...
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In a nutshell Tamoxifen treatment is given to many breast cancer patients after surgery to prevent recurrences and improve survival. It is usually given for a maximum of 5 years. This study determined that longer treatments offer further survival benefit. Some background Tamoxifen is a drug used against breast cancers which produce...
Read MoreIn a nutshell This study evaluated if strategies to prevent cancer recurrence are associated with prolonged survival 15 years after treatment. Their main findings were that postoperative radiation managed to prevent cancer recurrence and was associated with higher rates of long-term survival. Some background Early breast cancer is often treated...
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In a nutshell This article presents summarized data from two clinical trials. The trials evaluated the addition of Capecitabine to standard postoperative chemotherapy for patients with high risk early breast cancer. Some background Capecitabine is a chemotherapy drug that is taken orally and slows the growth of tumors. It can be...
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In a nutshell This article reports long-term results of the UK/ANZ DCIS (“UK/Australia and New Zealand Ductal Carcinoma in Situ”) trial. This study investigated the use of radiation treatment and Tamoxifen treatments in DCIS. Some background Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is the most common type of non-invasive breast cancer....
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In a nutshell In this study chemotherapy and Tamoxifen were compared to Tamoxifen alone as complementary treatments after surgery for breast cancer. The main finding was that better results are obtained by adding chemotherapy. Some background Tamoxifen is a drug used for tumors which require the female hormone estrogen to grow. It...
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In a nutshell The risk of breast cancer is high (~80%) in women who inherit a damaged (mutated) gene called BRCA1 or BRCA 2 (‘BRCA carriers’). Following the first diagnosis, their risk of developing another tumor in the second breast within 10 years is 30%. Some background Some types of breast cancer need estrogen (female sex...
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