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Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Breast cancer early detection significance
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Early detection promotes better outcomes. With early diagnosis, women can pursue curative treatment and have the potential of achieving breast preservation which holds important treatment, cosmetic and emotional benefits for many.
If the goal is to achieve breast preservation, one must first undergo limited surgery to remove the lump, commonly followed by radiation therapy. Unfortunately, a major trend has arisen in the application of breast radiation using an approach known as “hypofractionation”. Hypofractionation simply means using fewer treatments to complete a radiation course. In order to do this, the dose of radiation per treatment must be radically increased. This is being pushed hard by a lot of institutions with overwhelming acceptance by insurance companies. I am adamantly opposed to it and do not do it. Higher dose per treatment unquestionably leads to more normal tissue damage in many patients and is dangerous and should be avoided. I have more than 30 years of extensive experience following my own patients treated with radiation therapy for breast preservation with outstanding results - far superior to what is reported by the major institutions publishing data on hypofractionation.
Breast Cancer Awareness Month
In 2024, more than 360,000 people will be diagnosed with breast cancer. But there is hope. Advancements in early detection methods and support continue to increase the chances of survival. When caught in its earliest, localized stages, the 5-year relative survival rate of breast cancer is 99%.