Breast cancer patients who respond well to pre-surgical treatment may be able to skip surgery: study
Fox News
New research from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center indicates that some patients diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer may be able to skip surgery and receive radiation.
"This research adds to growing evidence showing that newer drugs can completely eradicate cancer in some cases, and very early results show we can safely eliminate surgery in this select group of women with breast cancer," said principal investigator Henry Kuerer, M.D., Ph.D., in a news release. Patients received specific cancer-targeted therapies and chemotherapy prior to surgery. If cancer was not detected on biopsy, then breast surgery was not performed and patients proceeded with standard radiation treatment. "This is a very interesting and thought-provoking trial." Amy McGorry is a contributing health reporter for Fox News Digital. Follow her on Twitter @amymcgorry.
He is professor of breast surgical oncology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, in Houston, Texas.