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Advances in breast cancer have greatly improved long-term survival. In a 15-year follow-up involving 145,000 women with early-stage breast cancer, researchers found that a woman's risk of dying from breast cancer was cut in half when she received six months of chemotherapy and five years of hormone therapy. This is very good news," study researcher Sarah Darby, PhD, tells WebMD. "Women with breast cancer should feel very enthusiastic about the therapies that are out there. They are very good." Long-Term Benefits Cancer survival is typically reported in terms of five-year survival. But many people want to know how likely they are to live 10 or 15 years — or more. Darby found that breast cancer treatments following surgery have had a significant impact on breast cancer survival 15 years down the road. In fact, survival advantage at 15 years among women who got chemotherapy vs. those who didn't was about twice that reported five years after initial breast cancer treatment. The benefit for five years of tamoxifen vs. none was almost three times greater at 15 years than at five. |
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UK breast cancer worries highest 13 June 2005 Women in Britain worry more about breast cancer than in those in any other country, an international survey has found. Almost half of those questioned were concerned about developing the disease, with 31 per cent prepared to consider a double mastectomy as against 22 per cent globally. The Cancer Research UK study came alongside a new trial of prevention drug anastrozole, which it is hoped will give high-risk women a less radical treatment option. |