• Font Size    
E-mail

Close Window E-mail This Page

Study: Don't Delay Follow-Up Cancer Treatments

Required fields are marked with an asterisk(*)

The information you provide will be used only to send the requested e-mail and will not be used to send any other e-mail communications. Read more in our Privacy Policy

Send E-mail

   Print     Share +
Dec 3, 2008 9:08 pm US/Mountain

Study: Don't Delay Follow-Up Cancer Treatments

Reporting
Dr. Dave Hnida
DENVER (CBS4) ― While it might be tough to do, a new study says don't delay when it comes to follow up treatment for early stage breast cancer. Yet one in five patients takes their time or don't complete the radiation treatments after the initial surgery.

"Usually we like to wait a couple of weeks after a lumpectomy to do radiation," CBS4 Medical Editor Dr. Dave Hnida said. "But too many women aren't getting in on time. So their chance of cancer coming back shoots up."

Most women undergo a course of radiation after having surgery for early stage breast cancer. The idea is to kill off any small cancer cells that may have been missed. But the women who take their time getting radiation allow cancer cells to grow again.

When Elizabeth Morris was diagnosed with early breast cancer, she knew the clock was ticking.

"I'm a person," Morris said. "When there's something there, I want it out, I want it taken care of."

The 83-year-old made sure she was quickly treated with radiation.

"If you wait a long, long time, you're allowing those cells that we know are there hiding somewhere to grow," Dr. Mary Katherine Hayes said.

The study found when women waited eight weeks, their risk of the cancer coming back increased 40 percent. Women whose treatment was delayed by 12 weeks were 400 percent more likely to develop another breast tumor.

Elizabeth is counting on her treatment.

"The hope is, with the radiation, it will slow any return of any cancer."

The usual treatment course is five times a week for seven weeks. Many women who don't get in quickly say that treatment is inconvenient, time consuming, or involves too much driving. The answer to that may be a newer treatment plan that uses more intense radiation in a shorter time frame. The University of Colorado Hospital is now studying intense radiation.


(© MMIX CBS Television Stations, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

Weird News

You need the latest Flash player to view video content.
Click here to download.

Click here to bypass this detection if you already have the latest Flash Player.

Health

Top News Stories

© MMIX, CBS Television Stations Inc. All Rights Reserved.