Posted on: November 2, 2007
New Information About Breast Cancer Recurrence In Young Women
Why women 40 years and younger with early-stage breast cancer could benefit from receiving an additional high dose of radiation
By Christina Owens
CTW Features
New findings about the risks and return rates of breast cancer in women show varying results with similar treatments depending on race and weight. A 2007 study from the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO), Fairfax, Va., showed women 40 years and younger with an early stage of breast cancer, who also received an additional high dose of radiation after undergoing a lumpectomy, are almost twice as likely to be cancer free 10 years later.
Another 2007 ASTRO study, however, showed African-American women with early stage breast cancer who have a lumpectomy followed by radiation have a higher chance of their cancer returning 10 years later, compared to their Caucasian counterparts. “This study confirms the aggressive nature of breast cancer in African-American women,” says Meena S. Moran, M.D., the lead author of the study. Moran also emphasized the importance for all women, but especially African-American women, to see healthcare providers regularly and go for screening mammograms to catch abnormalities early.
While these factors are out of most women’s control, there are other risk factors that can be avoided. A 2007 report from the “Archives of Internal Medicine” revealed that gaining weight as opposed to maintaining a stable weight throughout adulthood increased the risk for breast cancer. Because estrogens can accumulate in fat tissue, the growth of cancerous cells in the breast can also increase. So if fitting into your clothes isn’t enough of an incentive, remember there could be more at stake than donating your favorite pair of pants.
