Decades of research have had an incredible impact on breast cancer. Today, many forms can be treated successfully when detected early. Once a tumor spreads, however, the likelihood of survival begins to plummet. That troubling reality is starting to change thanks to a recent Phase III clinical trial that doubled survival time for its participants.
An international collaboration of researchers, including former Damon Runyon Fellow David E. Lebwohl, MD, enrolled 724 metastatic breast cancer patients, all of whom had hormone receptor-positive tumors. Some women received a combination treatment of everolimus (Afinitor), which blocks a protein known to affect blood vessel growth in cancer cells, and exemestane (Aromasin), a commonly-used hormone therapy. Other patients received only exemestane and a placebo.
Patients who received the combination survived progression-free for 7.4 months compared to 3.2 months for those who only received exemestane. According to lead author Gabriel Hortobagyi, MD, this “highly significant” result marks “the first time in a large Phase III trial [that] we have demonstrated that this dual-attack is more effective than a single [hormone] treatment.”
> Video: Hear from Suzanne Hebert, a patient who participated in the trial
Quotes adapted from ScienceDaily.com
Carl Held, MD
12/22 at 05:35 AM
Can you tell me where I could find a center or doctor who uses laser for squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue? (not chemotherapy, radiation, or surgery?
In Orange County, CA, or near.
If not near, elsewhere?
Thank you.