Advances Help Women

Beat Breast Cancer

DANBURY — Who’s at risk for developing breast cancer and why, and what treatment options are available, were discussed by a panel of Danbury Hospital experts at a recent Medical Town Meeting.

More than 110 men and women attended the meeting, held at the hospital’s John C. Creasy Center for Health Education Auditorium. The meeting focused on “Breast Cancer News,” especially use of new drugs, including Tamoxifen and Raloxifen, discovery of breast cancer genes, and alternative treatments.

While breast cancer still affects 180,000 women a year, and kills more than 43,000, advancements in diagnosis and treatment are helping. There has been a one to two percent decrease in mortality, according to John Pezzimenti, MD, chief of oncology at Danbury Hospital. Early detection screenings, such as mammograms, have helped more women diagnose the problem earlier, increasing their chances for beating the disease. For example, said Dr Pezzimenti, more women are diagnosed at Danbury Hospital with the earliest stage of the disease, which means they very likely will recover. Fewer are diagnosed with the most advanced stage of disease. “Early detection is key,” he said.

Women also have more treatment options today. Preventative drugs such as Tamoxifen and Raloxifen are helping women who have had the disease previously to prevent reoccurrence, according to Martin Abrams, MD, an oncologist. Dr Abrams suggested that women talk to their physicians about whether these drugs are right for them.

In the past four years, genetic research has also opened new doors in providing insight into how and why people get breast cancer. Two genes are responsible for breast cancer, BRCA1 and BRCA2. But heredity cancer genes are responsible for only about five to ten percent of breast cancer, according to Vincent Rella, MD, an oncologist with Danbury Hospital. The vast majority of cases are sporadic.

“Cancer gene identification gives us information that will help to prevent and control certain types of cancers in the future,” said Dr Rella. Cancer genes have been identified for breast and ovarian cancer, and other types of cancer, but since the information is brand new, the field is evolving day by day.

What it all means, says Dr Rella, is that a person who carries the gene for a certain type of cancer is more susceptible to getting the disease. For example, if a woman carries the breast cancer gene, she has a 60 to 80 percent lifetime chance of getting breast cancer. A woman without risk factors in the general population has a one-in-nine lifetime chance of getting the disease.

This information underscores the importance of understanding a person’s family history and background regarding disease. “If a woman’s mother had early onset breast cancer, the daughter may be at greater risk,” said Dr Rella.

The best way to know if someone is at greater risk is to look into hereditary factors, he added. Individual genetic testing isn’t widely used at the moment. Such testing is complicated and expensive, he adds, and poses legal and ethical issues.

No one is immune to cancer, say the experts. But by paying attention to risk factors, having early detection screenings, eating a healthy diet, exercising and taking vitamins, a person can limit his or her chances.