The New England Journal of Medicine reports the latest research done in Britain claim that new frontiers have been crossed in treating early breast cancer successfully after having studied over 2,400 patients. The researchers of two independent studies apparently looked into the effectiveness of adding the drug epirubicin to regular chemotherapy employed to treat women in early stages of breast cancer. Both studies reported better results of treatment despite aggravation in side effects.
Most of the women who were part of the study were younger than 50 years. Half the number of women who underwent the program were administered the drug epirubicin while the rest were put on standard treatment.82% of those who received epirubicin as part of treatment lived for another 5 years and 76% of them lived on with no relapses. Whereas the group that received standard chemo therapy showed only 75% lived on to see another 5 years and only 69% showed no relapses.Editorialists who were part of the study note that although chemotherapy reduces the risk of recurrence of breast cancer , its up to the doctors and patients during their course of clinical counseling to decide upon choice of treatment based on the pros and cons each therapy offers.
Source-Medindia
MST
