Still, women over 66 years of metastatic breast cancer do not have the full range of treatments post mastectomy. A study conducted at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston revealed that nearly half of all elderly women with advanced breast disease don't get radiation therapy after their surgery.
Researchers sift through data from more than 66 38 000 women who had a mastectomy between 1999 and 2005. In the group studied, 8 000 patients had metastatic breast cancer, but less than 4 000 had radiation also surgery. Guidelines recommending that the radiation be offered to women with a disease advanced after a mastectomy have been published in the six years covering of this study. The experts recognized that the benefits of radiation for breast cancer, even after a breast is removed - remember that the chest wall and the lymph nodes may be affected - but many women did not obtain the additional processing. Dr. Benjamin Smith, co-author on this study, considered the reasons of these results.
Many patients may have been offered of radiation, but decided not to do. Before the guidelines were published, most oncologists as radiation to be ineffective after a mastectomy. If a historical prejudice against post-mastectomy radiation may have stood additional processing for some women. ? in other cases, women who were more than 80 years appears to be less susceptible to radiation after breast surgery. These patients can seen as tradeoffs between quality of life and longevity and decided that life during six weeks of radiation - more recovery time - did not seem as their best choice. ? that women may not have lived at a distance close to a clinic of radiation, therefore to conduct or to stay in a hotel in treatment may be not an option. Cost of treatment and access to health insurance may also be a factor.
If you were age 66 or over at diagnosis, you would like the full range of treatments for advanced breast cancer? ? or do you prefer to stick to the basic surgery and chemotherapy that many patients opt for? ? what may influence your decision? ? Please leave your comments below.
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