Breast cancer is cancer of breast tissue. Worldwide, it is the most common form of cancer in females, affecting approximately 10% of all women at some stage of their life in the Western world. Early detection through regular breast self-exams and a regular program of mammography and physical exams shows excellent results in combatting it.
Shutting down ovaries may help reduce breast cancer recurrence
Breast Cancer :: Shutting down ovaries may help reduce breast cancer recurrence
Artificially inducing menopause may reduce breast cancer recurrence in premenopausal women with early-stage breast cancers.Menopause is the natural cessation of menstruation and ovulation in women, which normally occurs between the ages of 45 and 50, and the related decline in levels of the natural female hormone estrogen.
Previous research has shown that estrogen promotes the growth of most types of breast cancer, and that reducing estrogen levels slows estrogen-dependent tumor growth in postmenopausal women.
Researchers will study 3,000 premenopausal women with ?hormone receptor positive? breast cancer who have undergone surgery and completed any necessary chemotherapy.
?Even if there?s no evidence of a residual tumor cells after treatment, we know a certain percentage of these women will experience recurrence later in life, so we need better strategies to reduce that risk,? explains Havlin, associate professor of internal medicine at UC and a medical oncologist at the UC Barrett Cancer Center at University Hospital.
The current standard of care for premenopausal women is five years of tamoxifen (ta-MOX?-ee-fen), an oral medication that blocks the effects of estrogen in the cells and minimizes estrogen in the body as a preventive measure.
Each patient in the trial?s experimental group will choose her own ovulation suppression method: monthly injections with the drug triptorelin (trip-toe-REL?-in), ovary removal (oophorectomy, pronounced oo-for-EK?-toe-mee) or six months of ovary irradiation.
Triptorelin resembles the body?s natural luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone, which affects the pituitary gland and reduces the amount of sex hormones (estrogen and testosterone) the body produces.
For this trial, participants will be randomized into one of three treatment groups to receive only tamoxifen, ovarian suppression plus tamoxifen, or ovarian suppression plus exemestane (ex-em-ESS?-tain) for five years.
Exemestane belongs to a class of drugs known as aromatase inhibitors, which block the enzymes that produce estrogen.
?We know this drug can substantially reduce breast cancer recurrence in postmenopausal women with fewer side effects than tamoxifen,? adds Havlin. ?But the only way we can give the drug to premenopausal women is by making them enter early menopause through ovarian suppression.
?We hope that by eliminating the potentially tumor-feeding estrogen supply in the body and then administering hormone therapy,? adds Havlin, ?we can reduce breast cancer recurrence and improve the quality of life for this group of women.?
Women will be followed for five years and receive regular physical exams and blood tests every three to six months. Study patients should not be using hormonal birth control or have had any other hormone treatments six months prior to trial randomization.
(Breast Cancer :: Shutting down ovaries may help reduce breast cancer recurrence published at SpiritIndia on Sunday, August 5, 2007)
Breast Cancer
Search more information on Breast Cancer, Breast Cancer booksRecently posted related articles on Breast Cancer :
- Breast Cancer :: Normal tissue not spared in new forms of breast cancer radiotherapy
- Breast Cancer :: Drug Could Effectively Treat, Prevent the Spread of Breast Cancer
- Breast Cancer :: Breast cancer survivors to be honored at benefit for Wilmot Research
- Breast Cancer :: Enhanced DNA repair mechanism can cause breast cancer
- Breast Cancer :: Personal Digital Assistants PDAs help breast cancer patients
- Breast Cancer :: AACR, BCRF award inaugural grants in translational breast cancer research
- Breast Cancer :: Breast cancer awareness calls for cardiovascular awareness
- Breast Cancer :: Think pink for breast cancer awareness month, US
- Breast Cancer :: Breast reconstruction surgical webcast for breast cancer awareness month
- Breast Cancer :: Hip size of mothers linked to breast cancer in daughters
Most related articles:
- Breast Cancer :: Shutting down ovaries may help reduce breast cancer recurrence- Breast cancer :: Facts about breast cancer - 15.6
- Breast Cancer :: Femara for postmenopausal women with breast cancer - 14.8
- Breast cancer :: Breast cancer in men - 14.5
- Breast cancer :: Breast feeding reduces breast cancer risk - 14.2
- Breast Cancer :: Japanese women show lower incidence of breast cancer recurrence - 13.8
- Breast Cancer :: Postmenopausal sex hormones and breast density are each associated with breast cancer risk - 13.8
- Breast Cancer :: Breast cancer drug receives FDA approval - 13.8
- Breast cancer :: Preventive mastectomy removes breast cancer risk - 13.8
- Breast cancer :: Eggs lower breast cancer risk - 13.2
Breast Cancer - recent related articles/news stories:
- Obesity, alcohol use and smoking increase second breast cancer risk- Salinomycin potent against cancer stem cells in breast cancer
- Newly diagnosed breast cancer patients and MRI
- Breastfeeding reduces risk of breast cancer
- Breast cells responsible for breast cancers
»» Blood :: Hoxworth issues emergency appeal for blood and platelet donors
«« Vaccine :: Importance of immunization - a back-to-school review
The information provided on SpiritIndia.com is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between a patient/site visitor and his/her physician. Spirit India comply with the HONcode principles for trustworthy health information.
Health, Business, Science, Sports, Entertainment, Technology
©2002-2009 SpiritIndia.com
Health, Business, Science, Sports, Entertainment, Technology
©2002-2009 SpiritIndia.com