Monitoring Early Breast Cancer: Surgery May Not Always Be Necessary
Could Some Women Skip Surgery for Early Breast cancer? New Study Suggests It’s Possible
A groundbreaking study suggests that some women diagnosed with the earliest stage of breast cancer, known as ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), could safely forgo surgery and radiation, opting instead for careful monitoring. This approach, already used in early prostate cancer, could spare patients from unneeded side effects and costs.”This is realy the first study to confirm our suspicions that there’s a subset of low-risk patients that could do just as well without surgery,” said Dr. Nancy Chan, a breast-cancer specialist at NYU Langone’s Perlmutter Cancer Center. “It’s really encouraging.”
The study, led by Dr. E. Shelley Hwang of Duke Cancer Institute, involved nearly 1,000 women aged 40 and older with a low-risk type of DCIS. Participants were divided into two groups: one received standard treatment (surgery with or without radiation), while the other underwent regular mammograms every six months and could choose surgery if the disease progressed.
After two years, the rates of invasive breast cancer were similar in both groups, with less than 10% developing the more dangerous form of the disease. importantly, anxiety levels were comparable between the groups, addressing a key concern when considering less aggressive treatment.
While the study offers promising results, some doctors urge caution. “It was a data-free zone as we already treated it like a cancer,” said Dr. Hwang. “we didn’t know what we could dial back on.”
Long-term data is still needed to confirm the safety of this approach,especially for younger women who would face a longer period of risk.
The findings, published in JAMA and JAMA Oncology, are set to be presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.
Tina Clark,a 63-year-old participant in the trial,chose monitoring after being diagnosed with DCIS in 2019.”It would have been a tremendous hardship” to undergo surgery at the time, she said, given her husband’s failing health.
clark’s experience highlights the potential benefits of a less invasive approach. While she ultimately required surgery for a diffrent breast cancer in 2023, her original DCIS remained stable.
The study’s authors emphasize that women diagnosed with DCIS don’t need to rush into surgery. “It’s not an emergency,” said Dr. ann Partridge, a senior researcher on the trial and a breast-cancer specialist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. “Women can really take a pause, take a deep breath, and make good decisions.”
Could Surgery for Early Breast Cancer Be Optional? New Study Suggests It’s Possible
A revolutionary study suggests that some women diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) – the earliest stage of breast cancer – could safely forego surgery and radiation in favor of watchful waiting. This approach,already used in early prostate cancer,could spare patients from needless side effects and costs.
“This is really the first study to confirm our suspicions that there’s a subset of low-risk patients that could do just as well without surgery,” said Dr. nancy Chan, a breast-cancer specialist at NYU Langone’s Perlmutter Cancer Center. “It’s really encouraging.”
The study, led by Dr. E. Shelley Hwang of Duke Cancer Institute, followed nearly 1,000 women aged 40 and older with low-risk DCIS. Half received standard treatment (surgery with or without radiation), while the other half opted for regular mammograms every six months and could choose surgery if their condition progressed.
After two years, the rate of invasive breast cancer was similar in both groups, with less than 10% developing the more aggressive disease. Considerably, anxiety levels where comparable between both groups, dispelling a major concern about less aggressive treatment.
while the results are promising, some doctors advocate for caution. “It was a data-free zone as we already treated it like a cancer,” explained Dr. Hwang.”We didn’t no what we could dial back on.”
Long-term data is still needed to definitively confirm the safety of this approach,especially for younger women who face a longer period of risk.
The findings, published in JAMA and JAMA Oncology, will be presented at the San Antonio breast Cancer Symposium.
Tina Clark,a 63-year-old participant in the trial,chose monitoring after her 2019 DCIS diagnosis. “It would have been a tremendous hardship” to undergo surgery at the time, she said, due to her husband’s health issues.
Clark’s experience highlights the potential benefits of a less invasive approach. Even though she ultimately required surgery for a different breast cancer in 2023, her original DCIS remained stable.
The study’s authors stress that women diagnosed with DCIS don’t need to rush into surgery.
“It’s not an emergency,” said Dr. Ann Partridge, a senior researcher on the trial and a breast-cancer specialist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. “Women can really take a pause, take a deep breath, and make good decisions.”