Studies discredit treatment for cancer
The Dutch and American studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine found a longer time until relapse associated with the controversial treatment in selected women, but no overall increase in survival.
The expensive and debilitating procedure was very popular among women in the 1990s, but has fallen into disuse after several 1999 reports showing no benefit.
'For all of the hassle associated with the treatment, we are not getting a lot of bang for the buck,' said Dr. Derek Raghavan of the University of Southern California.
'There's a high level of morbidity and mortality associated with these treatments,' added Rebecca Garcia of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. 'You really have to question at what cost you are willing to continue these treatments.'
The chemotherapy-transplant combination was developed more than two decades ago and became very popular after preliminary studies appeared encouraging. The idea is to use unusually high doses of anti-cancer drugs to kill as many breast cancer cells as possible.
These high doses also kill bone-marrow cells, leaving patients at risk of anemia and infections. To avoid this problem, physicians follow the chemotherapy with a transplant of bone-marrow cells collected either from the patient before chemotherapy or from a donor.
This whole process is painful and exhausting, and the mortality rate from the procedure initially ran as high as 20 percent. That rate has been reduced, but is still significant.
Studii discredita tratament pentru cancer - Studies discredit treatment for cancer - articole medicale engleza - startsanatate