I recently read an interesting article about a study that was done on Tamoxifen and the benefits for women with DCIS.
The results of the study were published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
DCIS refers to abnormal cells in the lining of a breast duct. It is classified as Stage 0 breast cancer - the earliest possible stage. The condition usually does not produce any symptoms. DCIS now accounts for up to one-quarter of all breast cancer diagnoses in the United States.
Tamoxifen is a hormonal therapy that interferes with the effects of estrogen. It is commonly used in the treatment of hormone receptor-positive invasive breast cancer, and is also used to reduce the risk of breast cancer in women at high risk of the disease.
The role of Tamoxifen among women with DCIS was evaluated in a clinical trial known as NSABP B-24. All women in the study had DCIS that was treated with lumpectomy and radiation therapy. Half the women were given Tamoxifen and half were given a placebo. The primary results from the study (published in 1999) indicated that Tamoxifen reduced the risk of another breast cancer diagnosis.
Although I was diagnosed with DCIS, I haven't had to take Tamoxifen because my cancer was estrogen negative. I often hear women talk about Tamoxifen, and it's side effects. It's sounds like, from the study above, that it can reduce the risk of another breast cancer diagnosis. But, I'm wondering how hard the side effects are to deal with. Anyone out there who is taking Tamoxifen, and would like to share information about side effects?
Showing posts with label DCIS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label DCIS. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
TUESDAY TIDINGS - DCIS Treatments...
I was recently reading some articles on the website, MedicineNet.com, and thought I'd share one of them with you. It's about DCIS - one of the forms of breast cancer that I had - it starts with a question...
"I have a Ductal Carcinoma in Situ (DCIS), a type of localized cancer. Why have I been advised to have a mastectomy when other women with invasive cancer have lumpectomies?"
Ductal Carcinoma in Situ (DCIS) sometimes presents a difficult dilemma. Most patients with DCIS can undergo successful breast-conservation therapy but not all. The diagnosis implies that this is an "early" form of cancer in the sense that the cells have not acquired the ability to penetrate normal tissue barriers or spread through the vascular or lymphatic channels to other sites of the body. It is important to realize that breast cancer is a wide spectrum of diseases and no comparisons should be made just on the basis that someone you know has "breast cancer" and shares a different treatment approach with you.
However, the millions of cells forming the DCIS have accumulated a series of errors in their DNA programs which allow them to grow out of control. There are varying degrees of disturbance, called "grades," of the normal cellular patterns. Low grades are more favorable, and high grades are less favorable.
The DCIS cells originate from the inside of the breast gland ducts (microscopic tubes). As they multiply, the cells fill and spread through the normal ducts of the breast glandular tissue. With many DNA errors already in place and millions of these cells exposed to the usual risks of additional DNA damage, a few cells will ultimately become invasive. This invasive change is the real risk of DCIS.
Treatment which does not physically remove all of the DCIS seems to leave a substantial risk of recurrence and, therefore, invasive disease. This risk of recurrence is particularly increased in the high-grade form of DCIS. In cases where the DCIS has spread extensively through the breast ducts, even though the disease is in a sense "early" because it is not yet invasive, it may still require a large surgical resection, at times even a mastectomy (removal of all or part of the breast).
This article helped me to better understand the treatment of my cancer, but I think the most important part of the article was the advice that was given... "It is important to realize that breast cancer is a wide spectrum of diseases and no comparisons should be made just on the basis that someone you know has "breast cancer" and shares a different treatment approach with you."
As it says here, I think it's important to make your decisions about your breast cancer, and not compare it to the breast cancer others have. I've often wondered why my chemo treatment was so different than others with the same cancer. But, every cancer is unique - just as every person is unique. Do your homework, and research, and then make your decisions about treatment based on your research, the opinions of your doctors and other caregivers, and what you feel best about doing.
"I have a Ductal Carcinoma in Situ (DCIS), a type of localized cancer. Why have I been advised to have a mastectomy when other women with invasive cancer have lumpectomies?"
Ductal Carcinoma in Situ (DCIS) sometimes presents a difficult dilemma. Most patients with DCIS can undergo successful breast-conservation therapy but not all. The diagnosis implies that this is an "early" form of cancer in the sense that the cells have not acquired the ability to penetrate normal tissue barriers or spread through the vascular or lymphatic channels to other sites of the body. It is important to realize that breast cancer is a wide spectrum of diseases and no comparisons should be made just on the basis that someone you know has "breast cancer" and shares a different treatment approach with you.
However, the millions of cells forming the DCIS have accumulated a series of errors in their DNA programs which allow them to grow out of control. There are varying degrees of disturbance, called "grades," of the normal cellular patterns. Low grades are more favorable, and high grades are less favorable.
The DCIS cells originate from the inside of the breast gland ducts (microscopic tubes). As they multiply, the cells fill and spread through the normal ducts of the breast glandular tissue. With many DNA errors already in place and millions of these cells exposed to the usual risks of additional DNA damage, a few cells will ultimately become invasive. This invasive change is the real risk of DCIS.
Treatment which does not physically remove all of the DCIS seems to leave a substantial risk of recurrence and, therefore, invasive disease. This risk of recurrence is particularly increased in the high-grade form of DCIS. In cases where the DCIS has spread extensively through the breast ducts, even though the disease is in a sense "early" because it is not yet invasive, it may still require a large surgical resection, at times even a mastectomy (removal of all or part of the breast).
This article helped me to better understand the treatment of my cancer, but I think the most important part of the article was the advice that was given... "It is important to realize that breast cancer is a wide spectrum of diseases and no comparisons should be made just on the basis that someone you know has "breast cancer" and shares a different treatment approach with you."
As it says here, I think it's important to make your decisions about your breast cancer, and not compare it to the breast cancer others have. I've often wondered why my chemo treatment was so different than others with the same cancer. But, every cancer is unique - just as every person is unique. Do your homework, and research, and then make your decisions about treatment based on your research, the opinions of your doctors and other caregivers, and what you feel best about doing.
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