Small tumors to be treated with chemo?
Meet the Experts
Jennifer Griggs, M.D., M.P.H. is a medical oncologist specializing in the treatment of breast cancer, dedicated to developing programs that improve the well-being of women treated for breast cancer.
Question from Schaberg: The New York Times posted a story about the aggressiveness of some small tumors that was presented in San Antonio. This has really frightened me. I had a .3 mm ductal carcinoma (ER/PR-negative; HER2/neu-positive; negative lymph nodes) and was treated with surgery and 6 weeks of radiation, but no chemo. Has that treatment protocol now been shown to be inadequate? If so, what do we do?
- Answer —Jennifer Griggs, M.D., M.P.H.:
A tumor as small as yours is rarely treated with chemotherapy. Very few women have tumors that small, and very few women with such small tumors are included in clinical trials, so it's hard for us to know what the benefit is of treatment such as chemotherapy and Herceptin in your case. Many women with a tumor that is so small are also found to have non-invasive breast cancer (ductal carcinoma in situ) which is often picked up on a mammogram. According to current guidelines developed by experts who take into account literature and studies from around the world, chemotherapy in your case would rarely be offered. Even in the studies showing that small tumors can be associated with a poor outcome, that is usually associated with tumors larger than the one you had; for example, 6 mm or 8 mm or 1.5 cm tumors. So you were treated according to our best evidence that we have at this point.
On December 19, 2007, our Ask-the-Expert Online Conference was called Updates from San Antonio 2007. Jennifer Griggs, M.D., M.P.H. answered your questions and shared the newest research presented at this year's San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.
The materials presented in these conferences do not necessarily reflect the views of breastcancer.org. A qualified healthcare professional should be consulted before using any therapeutic product or regimen discussed. All readers should verify all information and data before employing any therapies described here.
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