Delayed Surgery for Early Breast Cancer Won't Harm Survival: Study

News Picture: Delayed Surgery for Early Breast Cancer Won't Harm Survival: Study

MONDAY, Aug. 17, 2020 (HealthDay News)

Women with early-stage breast cancer whose surgery has been postponed during the coronavirus pandemic need not worry about the delay, new study findings suggest.

A longer time from diagnosis to surgery doesn't affect overall survival of women with early-stage tumors, the researchers found. They also said a delay didn't lower survival among women with estrogen-sensitive, early-stage breast cancer who received neoadjuvant endocrine therapy before their surgery.

"Usually we take these patients with very small tumors directly to surgery, so it is a big change in practice to first put those patients on tamoxifen or an aromatase inhibitor," said lead study author Dr. Christina Minami, an associate surgeon at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.

"What we can say from our findings is that despite the delay in surgical therapy, because you were on neoadjuvant endocrine therapy, we do not think that your survival will at all be impacted," she added in a news release from the American College of Surgeons.

For the study, her team used data on nearly 379,000 women. One group had ductal carcinoma in situ -- the earliest form of breast cancer.

The other group had small invasive tumors -- stage 1 and 2 -- that had not spread to lymph nodes and were estrogen receptor-positive.

The researchers wanted to know if waiting up to one year from diagnosis to surgery affected women's five-year survival.

Among women with early-stage invasive breast cancer, the wait didn't make their cancer progress. Women with estrogen receptor-positive cancer had slightly higher odds of seeing their cancer worsen, but their overall survival was not affected, Minami said.

Senior study author Dr. Elizabeth Mittendorf, a professor of surgery at Brigham and Women's, said the findings have been helpful to share with patients whose surgery has been delayed.

"We can tell our patients they can still expect an excellent prognosis from their early-stage hormone receptor-positive cancer and that their excellent prognosis is not negatively impacted by this delay they have experienced," she said.

The findings were recently published online in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons.

-- Steven Reinberg

Comments

What Are the Symptoms of Stage 1 Ovarian Cancer?

Causes How do you get ovarian cancer? Stages Early Detection Center Stage 1 ovarian cancer often has no symptoms, but abdominal pain or a mass, and irregular vaginal bleeding might be indications you have ovarian cancer. The ovaries are the parts of the female reproductive system that produce a woman’s eggs and female hormones. Cancer of the ovary is not common, but it is the deadliest of female reproductive cancers . Women with ovarian cancer rarely experience the symptoms until cancer has reached an advanced stage. At stage 1 of ovarian cancer , the cancer is present only in the ovaries i.e. it has not spread in any other organs. Signs and symptoms at this stage may include Mass felt in the abdomen Distension or swelling of abdomen Abnormal vaginal bleeding (between menstrual periods or after menopause ) Pain or discomfort in the lower abdomen Back pain Bloating . Feeling full even with sma...

Diet and Weight Loss: 14 Ways to Shed Pounds After 40 Years

If you’re over 40, you may have noticed that it’s easier to gain weight -- and harder to lose it -- than it used to be. Changes in your activity level, eating habits, and hormones, and how your body stores fat all can play roles. But a few simple steps may help you slim down. Eat Your Fruits and Veggies Fill half your plate with them at every meal. Produce tends to have more nutrients and less fat and calories than meat, dairy products, or grains. And it may help you feel satisfied, even if you eat less. Fresh fruits, like apples and berries, are also great in place of high-fat or high-sugar snacks. Don't Skip Breakfast Experts recommend a healthy morning meal like oatmeal or whole wheat toast with fruit. It can help curb that mid-morning hunger that leads you to grab something unhealthy on-the-go or overeat at lunch. Small meals or snacks every few hours can keep your appetite in check all day long. Eat Less at Night If you get most of your daily calories at lunch (before 3 p.m....

Three Types of Asthma?

What is asthma? Asthma is a chronic medical condition that causes breathing difficulties. Asthma is a long-term medical condition that causes breathing difficulties due to airway narrowing, airway swelling, and excessive mucus production in the airway. An asthma attack is a reversible condition, but it may be severe. During an asthma attack, the muscles around the airways may tighten, and it becomes difficult for air to move into and out of the lungs . An asthma attack occurs when the symptoms become severe. Attacks can begin suddenly and range from mild to life threatening. Symptoms of asthma include: Chest tightness Wheezing Breathlessness Coughing Weakness Dizziness What are the three types of asthma? The three common types of asthma are as follows: Nocturnal asthma: This is the most common type of asthma. Usually, the symptoms are more prominent at night. Th...

Search This Blog