A recently released study by Vanderbilt University Medical Center doctors means that thousands of women who were once looking at chemotherapy to treat breast cancer, can now forego the often painful drugs.
The study of nearly 10,000 women over the course of 12 years found that more than half of the women with early-stage breast cancer didn't need chemotherapy. In most cases, hormone blockers worked more effectively and with fewer side effects.
"If a tumor isn’t dependent on chemotherapy, it doesn’t matter how much chemo you give, it won’t work... so for women over 50, it’s a big win. It’s not up for discussion. We have data. They just don’t need chemo," said Dr. Ingrid Mayer, who authored the study.
The study will impact about 60,000 women each year who get treated for early-stage breast cancer.
"A lot of women will be told, 'Your prognosis is good' and 'Guess what? You don’t have to go through this treatment,'" said Bari Brooks, a breast cancer survivor who participated in the study.
