To many women, when they hear a diagnosis of breast cancer, they immediately become fearful that it's a death sentence. This can lead to hasty decision making and confusion over which is a better treatment for the disease. A new study released by researchers at Duke University covering a 10 year span has identified that less radical treatments could in fact be better for women's health and survival rates overall.
Duke's Study Focusing on Women's Cancer Survival Rates
Duke's researchers conducted quite a lengthy study on cancer survival rates among approximately 112,154 women with cancer. Depending upon the treatment selected, women experienced differing survival rates.
This study concluded that merely having a lumpectomy to remove the cancerous cells instead of a radical mastectomy can increase a patient's odds of survival by as much as 13-19%. These women were also found to be 1/5 less likely to die of other causes such as heart disease. This finding is contrary to what doctors often tell patients, often opting to advise women that removing the entire breast would offer patients a better chance of survival if they got rid of all the potentially affected tissue.
The researchers at Duke had hoped that this study would open up doctors to pursuing less radical and potentially less invasive treatments. As debate opens up around these treatments, these researchers are advocating radiotherapy as an alternative to radical mastectomy. Perhaps this treatment can increase the odds of surviving cancer beyond the 5 year mark, which is at 80% today.
If you're concerned about cancer treatments, you should consult your physician regarding your best treatment. If you feel you have been advised wrong, you might want to call a skilled personal injury attorney for the help you need.
