Jun 10
6
Radiation Not Good for Older Breast Cancer Patients?
Recent news on breast cancer in older patients is pointing to the conclusion that older patients with breast cancer may not need to under go radiation in combination with taking Tamoxifen pills as well. Tamoxifen is an estrogen hormone suppressant, and since estrogens are a fuel for most breast cancers, Tamoxifen is a drug that most breast cancer survivors are put on for a while after they go into remission, to prevent the cancer from coming back.
It was found that more patients died within several years after they were treated for breast cancer who had gotten both the radiation and the Tamoxifen treatment, while less patients died and had recurrence of the cancer who had just done the drug alone without the radiation. The conclusion they made was that a lumpectomy, where the localized breast cancer area is taken out physically, combined with the oral drug may actually be better than, or at least a good starting point, radiation combined with it.
This is great news for older breast cancer patients, who will be spared the extra cost of radiation along with the drug. This means less insurance costs, which is also a good thing for the health care system which is already over burdened with unnecessary costs, preventing people who really need other treatments to get them, and to get them on time.
Tamoxifen has been hailed as one of the greatest discoveries for breast cancer treatment and prevention because it does inhibit the excess estrogens in the body that are blamed for perpetuating breast cancer cells and growths. One hopes that these studies are not flawed though, as women and their doctors may base their treatment choices on such studies and subsequent recommendations and conclusions.
We can only hope that the medical establishment has pure motives in mind when recommending this, and it’s not merely a cost savings ploy, however, I believe this may be pure, because right now there is so much money to be made, especially with the new government interventions into the health sector.
Whatever your opinion may be, you must ask the opinion of your doctor and trust them, if you don’t trust they have your best interests in mind, it may be wise to seek a second opinion, but that’s just my opinion, and of course it depends on your personal situation, insurance coverage, etc. etc.
