8 Breast Cancer

Treatments on the

Horizon

According to the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, chemoprevention is the use ofpharmacologic or natural agents that inhibit the development of invasive cancer either by blocking theDNA damage that initiates cancer formation or reversing the progression of cells where cancer hasalready formed. Drugs in this area, such as Fenretinide & aromatase inhibitors, are currently beingstudied to reduce the risk of breast cancer.

Many women with breast cancer have cells that may break away from the tumor and enter thebloodstream. These circulating cells can now be detected with sensitive lab testing. These testscould help determine which breast cancer patients are at risk for remission.

In scintimammography, or molecular breast imaging, a slightly radioactive tracer is injected intothe patient’s vein, and the tracer attaches to breast cancer cells. The role of molecular breastimaging is still being determined, but it may be useful for finding breast cancers in the densebreasts of younger women.

For women at various stages of breast cancer who undergo lumpectomy or partial mastectomy, theprocedure could lead to breasts of different sizes and shapes; for women with large tumors, breastconserving surgeries may not even be possible. Surgeons are solving these issues with oncoplasticsurgery, in which they reshape the breast at the time of initial surgery and operate on the other breastto make them more symmetrical.

PARP inhibitors target cancers caused by BRCA mutations, and they have been found to beeffective with treating breast, ovarian, and prostate cancers. Studies are now being conductedto see if PARP inhibitors are also effective for cancers not caused by BRCA mutations.

Anti-angiogenesis drugs

Blood vessels have to grow in order to nourish and promote cancer cell growth. This growth ofblood vessels is called angiogenesis. Anti-angiogenesis drugs prevent the formation of newblood vessels. Anti-angiogenesis drugs are still being studied to determine the potentialeffectiveness in treating advanced breast cancer.

Bisphosphonates

Bisphosphonates can help strengthen bones and reduce bone fracture risk in bones weakenedby metastatic breast cancer. One example is zoledronic acid, which is currently being studied forother benefits such as breast cancer remission.

Vitamin DVitamin D deficiency may be linked to a poorer diagnosis for early stage breast cancer patients.More research is needed on their effectiveness, but taking vitamin D supplements may behelpful. It would be a good idea to ask your doctor if your vitamin D level is in the healthy range.

1 in 8 women in the US will develop breast cancer in their lifetime, and for nearly 30% of them, the cancer will metastasize.

Today, an estimated 150,000 to 250,000 women and men are living with metastatic breast cancer in the US.

The average survival for a metastatic diagnosis is only 3 years.

Stats of Interest

Medko is dedicated to helping North Americans find alternative breast cancer treatment options in Latin America.

To learn more about our

specialists’ treatment

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