Study finds breast cancer changes with spread.Byline: ANI London, Nov 4 (ANI): Almost 40 percent of breast cancer tumours change form as they spread, according to a UK study. This, according to Breakthrough Breast Cancer Breakthrough Breast Cancer is the United Kingdom's leading breast cancer charity committed to fighting breast cancer through research, campaigning and education. Its essence comes from the thousands of people who are committed to a single vision - scientists in Edinburgh, could mean that patients require changes to their treatment regime as well. For the study, they analysed 211 tumours, which had spread to the lymph nodes Lymph nodes Small, bean-shaped masses of tissue scattered along the lymphatic system that act as filters and immune monitors, removing fluids, bacteria, or cancer cells that travel through the lymph system. in the armpit-the place where breast cancer tends to migrate first. Breast cancer often spreads to the lymph nodes and cells that travel in this way are often more difficult to treat than those in the breast - so it is vital that women receive the most appropriate treatment. Researchers were surprised to find the disease changed in such a high proportion of patients, and in so many ways, when it had spread. For example, 20 tumours changed from oestrogen oes·tro·gen n. Variant of estrogen. oestrogen see estrogen. receptor (ER) negative to ER positive-a change that would mean hormone therapies such as tamoxifen tamoxifen (təmŏk`sĭfĕn'), synthetic hormone used in the treatment of breast cancer. Introduced in 1978, tamoxifen is used to prevent recurrences of cancer in women who have already undergone surgery to remove their tumors. , which would not have worked for the original tumour, could help treat the disease if it has spread. Other tumours changed from ER positive to ER negative, which suggests those patients may be given treatments, which will not benefit them - experiencing side effects unnecessarily. "We were surprised that such a high proportion of tumours change form when they spread beyond the breast," The BBC BBC in full British Broadcasting Corp. Publicly financed broadcasting system in Britain. A private company at its founding in 1922, it was replaced by a public corporation under royal charter in 1927. quoted lead researcher Dr Dana Faratian as saying. "This suggests there is a need to test which type of disease a woman has in the lymph nodes, because it could radically alter the course of treatment she receives. "We now need a clinical trial to see how these results could benefit patients," she added. The study has appeared in Annals of Oncology. (ANI) Copyright 2009 Asian News International The Asian News International (ANI) agency provides multimedia news to China and 50 bureaus in India. It covers virtually all of South Asia since its foundation and presently claims, on its official website, to be the leading South Asia-wide news agency. (ANI) - All Rights Reserved. Provided by Syndigate.info an Albawaba.com company |
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