TREATMENTS FOR BREAST CANCER VARY MANY SKIPPING RADIATION.

Byline: Evan Pondel Staff Writer

THOUSAND OAKS - All breast cancer patients are not receiving the same degree of care despite well-established guidelines and benchmarks, according to a Blue Cross of California study released Friday.

It's difficult to pin down the most effective course of action when breast cancer is diagnosed. There are myriad unanticipated costs involved, prescriptions with foreign labels to decipher and ample time needed away from work to recover.

But there are specific treatment and care procedures that all women should know - and that's the business of ``doing what's right for you, given your situation,'' said Dr. Michael Belman, staff vice president and medical director for Blue Cross. ``Patients who are aware of their treatment and care options are more likely to receive optimal care.''

Thousand Oaks-based Blue Cross, California's largest health insurance provider, polled about 5,000 of its members to determine their experience with breast cancer care. The study targeted specific areas that most women would encounter during treatment.

Of those areas, the study concluded that maintenance of standard chemotherapy doses and rates of radiation therapy after breast-conserving therapy varied greatly. Belman said some women who have breast-conserving therapy do not undergo radiation therapy after the tumor has been excised.

An industrywide standard says that 95 percent of women that receive breast-conserving surgery should also receive post-surgery radiation. However, only about 68 percent of those women polled by Blue Cross received radiation therapy after their surgery.

``It's important to note that this study is not about showing fault in the system. We are all a part of this system,'' Belman said. ``What is important is generating awareness about these specific issues.''

The study also found that the rate of women who do receive breast-conservation surgery is in line with a nationally acceptable level.

Still, Dr. Vincent Riccardi, president of the La Crescenta-based American Medical Consumers, said the problem isn't with appropriate rates of treatment.

``It's the simple fact that there is a tremendous amount of turmoil out there surrounding breast cancer treatment,'' he said. ``And the best way to avoid the turmoil is by having proper screenings.''

Blue Cross recommends that all women should abide by a consistent screening schedule. Dr. Vera Kleynberg, an oncologist affiliated with Encino Tarzana Regional Medical Center, said consistency is the most effective way to treat the early stages of breast cancer.

``As for the Blue Cross study, there isn't any major breakthrough here. There is constantly new data surfacing about breast cancer,'' she said. ``Treatment often varies depending on the individual. Some patients can withstand more radiation more than others.''

Also affecting degrees of treatment: geographic locations. Kleynberg said in some areas, doctors tend to use radiation more, while in other regions providers are much more conservative.

``The bottom line is, awareness is important for any woman and physicians need to understand this as well,'' Kleynberg said. ``The more communication between the two, the more effective the overall treatment.''

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BREAST CANCER AWARENESS

SOURCE: Blue Cross of California