What's
Happening In Breast Cancer Research
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There are many new promising clinical studies
taking place in cancer research. Clinical studies are
groups of volunteers to take part in studies of ways to
prevent, diagnose, detect, and treat breast cancer. Many
clinical trials are working on ways to improve therapy
treatments, and improve the quality of life for breast
cancer patients.
Clinical studies are important for breast
cancer research. They answer important questions about the
effectiveness of new treatments for breast cancer. Studies
are being done with volunteers who are testing drugs to
prevent breast cancer. If you are involved in a clinical
study, you may be the first one to benefit from any new
treatment being studied for breast cancer. Even if you do
not benefit directly, many other women may eventually
benefit from your participation.
Clinical studies use patients with every stage of
breast cancer, including those that are cancer free.
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Clinical
trials of Tamoxifen and another new drug, Raloxifene, are being
conducted now with results to be published at the end of 2006.
Women in my area started a clinical study of Tamoxifen six years
ago. Results were encouraging and many women now take advantage
of Tamoxifen as a preventive tool to keep cancer from
reoccurring. Any new drug found to be a cancer fighter would
eventually need to be tested on humans. If you would like to
take part in a clinical trial, contact your doctor or check the
National Cancer Institute web site for new studies beginning in
your area.
Mammograms are the most effective tool we have to
detect breast cancer. A first mammogram will serve as a comparison
for the mammograms that follow. It will help doctors recognize any
changes that have occurred in the breast since the last mammogram.
That is one reason it is important to have your mammogram done at the
same location. If you do need to change locations, ask your first
mammogram to take with you to a new location so your doctor can
compare the two.
Ultrasound is often used to detect changes in density,
or any other differences in the breast area. If a woman is at high
risk for developing breast cancer, her doctor may request a
combination of both mammogram and ultrasound to carefully watch for
any changes in the breasts.
Research is also continuing in treatments and
combinations of treatments to treat breast cancer. Different types of
surgeries are being used, and combined with other forms of
treatments. No longer does a woman need to have a radical mastectomy
when simply taking out the lump will be enough.
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Other treatments may be used to ensure cancer cells do
not spread to other areas of the body.
Radiation therapy is being studied to see if
it can be used as an alternative to surgery. If a patient
is in early stages of breast cancer, the doctor may decide
that radiation can shrink the tumor enough that only a small
section of the breast needs to be removed.
New drugs are being tested for chemotherapy
and to find drugs that don’t have the side effects that most
of the drugs used now have. New drugs and doses of
anticancer drugs are being tested every day. Doctors and
researchers are looking at cancer vaccines that may help our
own immune system kill cancer cells. A significant stride
has been made this week when a new cervical cancer vaccine
was approved for the Federal Drug Administration. We hope
and pray for more vaccine discoveries for various forms of
cancer. |
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