BBC Article about Breast Cancer and Hormone Therapy
Posted by Emilienne Rebel on
"Breast cancer can resurface after remaining dormant for 15 years following successful treatment, a study has found."
Sometimes it just takes one word or thought to throw you back into the fear that is a cancer diagnosis... that ongoing fear of my Breast Cancer returning in another part of my body. I've debated wether to share this article or not with others, however in the ongoing debate about Tamoxifen I thought this was a very interesting study.
I've been taking Tamoxifen now for nine years and whilst I've suffered with many side effects, I still think it is has been the right choice for me. Now of course I wonder how I will feel coming off the hormone drug.
"Women with large tumours and cancer that had spread to the lymph nodes had the highest 40% risk of it coming back.
Researchers writing in the New England Journal of Medicine said extending treatment with hormone therapy could reduce the risk of it recurring.
Scientists analysed the progress of 63,000 women for 20 years.
All had the most common form of breast cancer.
This is a type fuelled by the hormone oestrogen which can stimulate cancer cells to grow and divide.
Every patient received treatments such as tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitors which block the effects of oestrogen or shut off the hormone's supply.
Although after five years of treatment their cancers had gone, over the next 15 years a steady number of women found that their cancer spread throughout their body - some up to 20 years after diagnosis.
Women who originally had large tumours and cancer that had spread to four or more lymph nodes were at highest risk of the cancer returning the next 15 years, the study said."
You can read more of the BBC News article here:
I lost my hair 10 years ago with Chemotherapy treatment for grade 3 advanced Breast Cancer which led me to creating Bold Beanies as I searched and couldn't find any soft cotton pretty hats to wear.
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