With the technological and laboratory advancement done in the field of oncology, the breast cancer survival rates of women have been improving in the last two decades, but still, more studies are needed to be done.
Recent reports about cancer of the breast reveal that there is a significant improvement in breast cancer survival rates amongst patients who were treated with the newest treatment regimen.
The following are the breast cancer survival rates in patients who were diagnosed with the cancer in specific time period, showing the significant increase in the percentage of survival amongst old and new patients:
• 10% for patients from 1974 to 1979
• 14% for patients from 1980 to 1984
• 22% for patients from 1985 to 1989
• 29% for patients from 1990 to 1994
• 44% for patients from 1995 to 2000
The more recent the group of patients, the better the prognostic variables and the longer period of living. The main reason of behind this great change is the advances in drugs and treatments. The most favorable variables include:
• A smaller tumor size
• A lower level of disease status
• Fewer lymph nodes involved
• Disease-free interval longer
• Tumors with positive estrogen receptors (these are tumors that use estrogen to grow).
• Tumors that do not involve major organs
It is estimated that the risk reduction has started 1% to 2% per year but is steadily increasing, although the change was not highly significant statistically. This statistic is consistent with data SEET (database of the results found by the National Cancer Institute Surveillance, Epidemilogy and End Results)
Current statistics indicate breast cancer?
In 2004, approximately 217,440 new cases of breast cancer were diagnosed in the United States, and 40.580 women are expected to die from metastasis, this in accordance with the report of the American Cancer Society.
However, improvements in radiographic techniques and more precise imaging techniques can change the distribution of the phases. Small metastases that might have been detected with modern imaging techniques of the 90's could have passed without notice in the 70's.
What could be responsible for the increase in breast cancer survival rates?
The marked increase was a result of longer research period and the number of drugs available for treating cancer. One of the largest increases took place in the 90's with drugs such as taxanes, vinorelbine, capecitabine, Herceptin, aromatase inhibitors and pamidronate.
Regardless of the progress, the improvements in survival rates in patients, especially at the metastatic stage, have been difficult to establish.
Mortality from breast cancer has been in decline, however. From 1995 to 1999, rates of breast cancer have declined for about 3.2% a year. But it still remains not clear whether the decline is due to a higher proportion of patients diagnosed with early stages of the disease or improvements in treatment.
Wanna know more about Breast Cancer Survival Rates? Join the growing number of people getting more information from Cancer Survival Rates.
No comments:
Post a Comment