Breast Cancer in the media: Breast Cancer survivors need checks beyond 5 years
Watching the evening news, my ears always perk up when I heard the words "breast" "cancer" since it has consumed my life for the most part these days.
What I heard was rather disappointing.
Source: www.wfaa.com
For cancer survivors, five years is the magic number, when doctors have long declared them "cured".
But a major new study blows that theory out of the water, finding 10 to
15, even more, is not long enough for a breast cancer survivor. Doctors have long known that in some people, cancer returns. Experts didn't know why, how many people were at risk, or for how long. A new study answers some of those questions for breast cancer patients.
Carole Gust thought she would never miss her yearly mammogram,
especially after being diagnosed with breast cancer 13 years ago at age
39. "But yes I did a year ago because I moved into a
house being renovated, my son was going off the college. Time goes by
quickly," she said. A new study from MD Anderson in Houston says younger patients, like Gust, should not let down their guard. Research shows 20 percent of women treated for breast cancer before menopause, relapsed within 15 years. The women in the study also had advanced or aggressive cancer.
"I think what this study demonstrates to us is that we have to be
diligent for the rest of our lives, which is not the same as saying we
have to be fearful. But we need to continue to look for small cancers
or subtle evidence of recurrent disease, long after we've finished
radiation therapy or chemotherapy," said Dr. Mark Fulmer, diagnostic
radiologist. Doctors say active hormones in younger women may play a role in whether cancer returns. Carole Gust says prayers to remain disease free have been answered for 13 years. To be sure she has many more healthy years ahead, she won't miss a check-up again. "You have to be diligent," she said. Doctors say this is the first study -- so there's no reason, yet, to change treatment based on age.
But some speculate if 20 percent of younger women with aggressive
cancer relapse, there may be an increase in mastectomies. Just great!
Comments
I second Teresa..
It's one study and I'd really like to know who was in the study pool i,e, age, ethnicity, location, habits e.t.c but most importanly how big/small was this study??
Why do I always ask this question? Well cos I'm African and when I kept hearing about the 'staggering devastation' that HIV is causing on my continent, I was alarmed, I looked into how is it possible that it could be that widespread so quickly. Only to find out that the first 'study done' was on 3,000 people!!
Hopluv... 3,000 people!. Nigeria alone has over 120Million human beings.. how in the world could they estimate all those figures from 3,000 people. And were they South, northern, Eastern or western african?.
anyway, excuse the slight tangent.
I'm keeping positive, I'm looking at one stage at a time.. Taking one day at a time, you know.. I've started thinking about how I live now. you know...
peace, blessings and warmth :)
I can imagine it being hard. I mean day to day.. we beat ourselves up for the simple yet mundane things..like damn it! can I just get shit together sometimes, you know?.
Still, you are here hopluv. Living, breathing. You are here (smile) and we are here with you. Keep keeping on honey.. you got hope and love. (smile). This is most definitely a difficult time for you but I'm praying with you and I'm sure everyone who reads this site. But most importantly.. I'm just celebrating you and your love of gadgets.. you gadget freak :)
peace, warmth and strength...sending them your way :)