(Press-News.org) Women with ductal carcinoma in situ—DCIS—who later develop invasive breast cancer in the same breast are at higher risk of dying from breast cancer than those who do not develop invasive disease, according to a study published online March 11 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Retrospective studies of women with DCIS have compared breast conserving surgery (lumpectomy) to mastectomy and found that survival rates are similar. However, women who have lumpectomy alone, without further treatment, are at higher risk of developing invasive breast cancer in the same breast. Whether women who develop invasive breast tumors after DCIS are also at higher risk of dying of breast cancer has not been clear.
To explore this question as well as the long-term effects of treatments aimed at avoiding invasive recurrence after lumpectomy, Irene Wapnir, M.D., of Stanford University School of Medicine, and James Dignam, PhD of University of Chicago looked at the long-term outcomes of patients with localized DCIS who took part in two large randomized trials, both carried out by the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NSABP). The B-17 trial compared lumpectomy alone to lumpectomy plus radiation therapy in women with DCIS. The B-24 trial compared lumpectomy plus radiation in combination with either tamoxifen or placebo.
Wapnir and colleagues analyzed data on outcomes in both trials after 15 years, including overall and breast cancer-specific survival and survival after development of invasive breast cancer in the same, or ipsilateral, breast.
They found that the development of invasive ipsilateral breast cancer was associated with death rates that were statistically significantly higher than those in women who did not develop an invasive ipsilateral breast cancer. Recurrence of DCIS was not associated with higher mortality. Radiation treatment after lumpectomy reduced the risk of ipsilateral invasive breast cancer compared to lumpectomy alone, and treatment with radiation and tamoxifen reduced the risk compared to radiation only. The reductions in risk were statistically significant.
Among all patients in the trials, the 15-year cumulative incidence of death from breast cancer was 4.7% or less for all treatment groups. Some of these events could be attributed to new invasive contralateral breast cancers.
The authors conclude that, regardless of treatment, women with DCIS have an excellent overall prognosis "despite persistent risks of breast cancer in the same or contralateral breast." They note that three other NSABP trials now in progress will provide more information on other treatment options following lumpectomy.
###
Contact: Irene Wapnir, 650-721-5705; wapnir@stanford.edu
DCIS patients who get invasive breast cancer have higher mortality
2011-03-13
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Contrary to popular belief, not all cases of chronic pancreatitis are alcohol-induced
2011-03-13
The relative rate of alcohol-related chronic pancreatitis (CP) is lower when compared to other causes, according to a new study in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, the official journal of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Institute. Patients with no identifiable cause for their disease as well as those with non-alcohol-related causes represent an unexpectedly large subgroup, particularly among women.
"One of the more remarkable observations is that in more than 50 percent of patients, alcohol was not considered as the causative factor of chronic ...
Breast Reconstruction Techniques
2011-03-13
There are two main techniques which can be used to perform breast reconstruction after a mastectomy. Your plastic surgeon will recommend the ideal option for you based on the size and shape of your breasts, your aesthetic goals, and any extenuating health issues. The two breast reconstruction options are:
- Breast reconstruction using tissue expanders and breast implants
- Tissue flap procedures
Breast Reconstruction with Tissue Expanders and Breast Implants
If your plastic surgeon chooses to perform breast reconstruction using breast implants, you will first ...
New method could improve economics of sweetening natural gas
2011-03-13
RICHLAND, Wash. – Natural gas extracted from the nation's coal beds and methane-rich geologic features must first be purged of hydrogen sulfide before it can be used as fuel. Until now, processing methods have often proved to be inefficient, requiring large amounts of heat.
But a team of Battelle researchers at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has discovered a method that could dramatically cut the amount of heat needed during processing, reducing the amount of energy needed during a key processing step by at least 10 percent. The research ...
70 percent of prostate cancer patients on ADT gain significant weight in first year
2011-03-13
Seventy per cent of men who received androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) after surgery to remove their prostate gland gained significant weight in the first year, putting on an average of 4.2kg, according to a paper in the March issue of the urology journal BJUI.
Researchers studied the recorded weights of 132 men who underwent radical prostatectomy between 1988 and 2009 at four US Veterans Affairs Medical Centers in California, Georgia and North Carolina, before and after they received ADT.
This showed that the majority of the men gained significant weight during the ...
Pushing HIV out the door: How host factors aid in the release of HIV particles
2011-03-13
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) – which causes AIDS – invades human immune cells and causes them to produce new copies of the virus, which can then infect new cells. A research team led by Professor Don C. Lamb (Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität in Munich) and Priv.-Doz. Dr. Barbara Müller of Heidelberg University Hospital have now analyzed the involvement of particular components of the infected cell in virion release, and discovered that the enzyme VPS4A plays a more active role in the process than was previously thought. VPS4A was already known to act after virus budding ...
Host change alters toxic cocktail
2011-03-13
This release is available in German.
VIDEO:
Chrysomela lapponica: The larva emits toxic secretions, visible as vesicles, from their defensive glands as a chemical protection against predators.
Click here for more information.
Leaf beetles fascinate us because of their amazing variety of shapes and rich coloring. Their larvae, however, are dangerous plant pests. Larvae of the leaf ...
Choosing a Nursing Home Wrongful Death Lawyer
2011-03-13
Entrusting the life of a loved one to a nursing home can be a difficult transition. No matter how much investigating and pre-checking you perform beforehand, there is always risk and fear involved.
What is Wrongful Death?
Wrongful death is death directly attributable to the fault of another individual or collection of individuals. When your loved one is not provided adequate care or treated with the compassion and respect he or she deserves while a resident in a nursing home, it can be heart wrenching. When that abuse and neglect results in nursing home wrongful ...
Man Sentenced for Sexually Assaulting Children
2011-03-13
Cirilo Cholula Maranchel, 19, of Lakewood, was sentenced to 25 years in prison after pleading guilty to crimes committed in 2009. Maranchel sexually assaulted eight girls, who ranged in age from four to nine. He faced six counts of aggravated sexual assault, as well as two additional sexual assault charges.
Maranchel chose not to try his case, as he wanted to spare his victims the strain that would accompany any trial. However, not everyone charged with a sex offense has such an easy decision. Often, uninformed decisions are made that severely diminish the rights of ...
Around 40 percent of hake is mislabeled
2011-03-13
The DNA studies carried out by a team of Spanish and Greek researchers, and published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, show that more than 30% of the hake products sold in Spain and Greece are wrongly labelled.
"We have found that hake caught in Africa are being labelled as American or European, meaning consumers pay a higher price for them", Eva García Vázquez, a professor at the University of Oviedo (Spain) and co-author of the study, tells SINC.
The researchers analysed 93 packages of fresh hake and several frozen brands in various hypermarkets ...
Co-parenting and Divorce: Keeping Children Secure After Dissolution
2011-03-13
The divorce process provides ample opportunity for frustration and conflict. One spouse may be shocked by the prospect, the other impatient for change, but if children are involved both parents have a duty to keep conversations civil as issues like property division, child custody and visitation get resolved.
As parents start discussing future living arrangements, they should put aside the reasons why the marriage went wrong and make an honest assessment of the children's best interests. They must also realize that those best interests don't stop evolving after the end ...