early breast cancer treatment options

Radiation does not Effect Overall Survival in Early Breast Cancer

“You can get about a 6% reduction in in-breast cancer recurrence with the addition of radiation…and no impact on overall survival,” he said”

My mom was diagnosed with early breast cancer (BC) at the age of 74. My mom’s oncologist talked my mom into undergoing local radiation in addition to her lumpectomy and an aromatase inhibitor. According to the studies linked and excerpted below, my mom’s oncologist advocated an adjuvant therapy that caused a host of short, long-term and late-stage side effects but did not improve average her overall survival.

My mom developed chronic atrial fibrillation several years ago. We’ll never be sure but I believe the A-fib was caused by the radiation therapy.

My mom’s original BC diagnosis was in 2004. Mom’s BC recurred last year in the other breast.

Both articles/studies cite 1) older women 2) early-stage BC 3) undergo lumpectomy. The only difference between the two studies is that the top study specifically discusses overall survival. While the second study cites a small increase in “local recurrence” it did not mention overall survival.

Radiation post lumpectomy does NOT improve overall survival in older women who have been diagnosed with BC and had a lumpectomy.

To learn more about non-toxic therapies to prevent BC relapse, please scroll down the page, post a question or comment and I will reply to you ASAP.

Thank you,

David Emerson

Cancer survivor
Cancer Coach
Director PeopleBeatingCancer

Radiation Does Not Improve Survival in Elderly Early-Stage Breast Cancer Patients

“Adjuvant radiation therapy might not be necessary for older women with early-stage BC who undergo lumpectomy. Women 70 years or older with early-stage disease who have a lumpectomy and also receive tamoxifen can safely forego radiation therapy because it does not appear to affect survival, distant disease-free survival, breast-cancer-specific survival, or breast conservation, a new study concludes…

You can get about a 6% reduction in in-breast recurrence with the addition of radiation...and no impact on overall survival,” he said.

Delaying Post-Surgical Radiation Increases Risk of Breast Cancer Recurrence in Older Women

“Older women who have had BC surgery have a greater risk of cancer returning if they delay their post-surgical radiation treatment, report Dana-Farber Cancer Institute scientists…

The researchers reviewed Medicare database records of 18,050 women with early-stage breast cancer to assess whether the timing of when radiotherapy started following surgery affected outcomes. These women were treated between 1991 and 2002 with lumpectomy and radiation, but not chemotherapy. Thirty percent of women began radiotherapy six or more weeks after surgery…

For the overall group, slightly more than 4 percent of the women experienced a local recurrence. The risk increased to about 5 percent, approximately a 19 percent jump when the surgery-radiotherapy interval was longer than six weeks.”