Breast cancer without chemotherapy and surgery: here’s how it’s done

Years pass, new ones appear treatment and diagnosis More precise methods have significantly improved survival rates for one of the most common types of cancer, breast cancer. In this World Breast Cancer Day, immunotherapy continues to make great strides, mainly in the triple negative subtype of cancer, while the introduction of the use of immunoconjugated antibodies (ADC) increasingly allows chemotherapy to enter the cell, being more effective than standard therapy. To this we must add innovative methods such as thermal ablation, which in some cases avoid surgery and mastectomy. Looking to the future, oncology calls for a strengthened aspect of research aimed at understanding the exact causes leading to the occurrence of cancer, in addition to genetic or hereditary factors.

One of the expert breast cancer specialists in Spain is Gemma Vinaleading oncologist of the department dealing with this pathology and coordinator of the medical oncology service of the Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO) Girona, outstanding in Medical letter how the diagnosis has improved to this day: “The screening program demonstrates that there is significant reduction in mortality and increase earlier diagnoses. This reduces the complexity of both surgical and subsequent treatment.”

Although diagnostic methods are improving, the oncologist is convinced that standard method “will continue to remain mammographywhich, although not ideal, gives results. Some women complain that this method can harm them, but screening gives good results and plays a decisive role.” increases and undergoes mammography in women from 50 to 69 years old women from 45 to 74″.

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“In the future, Spain will increase the number of mammograms for women aged 45 to 74”

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Viña believes Spain has made great strides in implementing breast cancer screening in the territory because “it covers a large part of the population. It’s a place where about 70 percent of women participate, and many of those who don’t because they have private gynecologist. For the most part, we have a good breast cancer screening program in our community, one of the first to be introduced.”

Remove a tumor without surgery in 5 minutes

Regarding treatment, in the field of innovation, successful cases such as Ramon y Cajal Hospital when using the percutaneous thermal ablation method. According to Miguel Chiva, head of the department Breast Radiology of this Madrid center, which allows “to eliminate in a simple and local way” 95 percent of tumors are less than 2 centimeters in size in patients who, due to their clinical characteristics, cannot undergo surgery due to age, comorbidities, intolerance to general anesthesia, or problems with the heart, breathing or blood.

“Some of them are very elderly patients. Going through the operating room could mean a complete change in their life, and the cure could be worse than the disease as there is postoperative complications“, explains Chiva. This method is also a window of opportunity when hormonal therapy is not effective, “resistance occurs and the tumor begins to grow again after a few years” or when there are concomitant tumors.

This new procedure is also indicated for some patients with metastatic disease “who live 9-10 years.” “The tumor is disseminated. Their cancer is systemic. We don’t want to operate on them because their cancer has already spread beyond the breast,” he clarifies.

However, once the good results of this method are confirmed through a multicenter study of more than 100 cases, the idea is to extend this type of treatment to younger patients with shrunk tumors. “It is very easy to do and gives good cosmetic results because you don’t have to have your breasts removed I won’t even have to amputate half of my breast. It’s just about burning the trauma from the inside,” the expert clarifies.

To control the tumor locally, a needle is inserted through the skin in the anesthetized area, and once the antenna is inside the lesion, microwaves are used to raise the temperature inside the lesion and burn it, says Chivas. This allows the patient to not be in the operating room during this “quick” procedure, which usually takes a long time. between 5 or 6 minutes and with which you will receive “necrotizes” the tumor in 100 percent of cases at a size of one centimeter and 95 percent at a size of 2 cm.

Survival and the search for the origins of cancer

Regarding the survival rate for breast cancer, the oncologist emphasizes that currently “it is 90 percent. We recently presented research to the Spanish Society of Medical Oncology (SEOM) 40 years of observation registration details in Gironaand survival rates have been shown to increase every year. 90 percent of patients with this cancer survive, making it one of the tumors that have the highest survival rate“

The next step, which, according to the specialist, needs to be carried out as soon as possible, in addition to applying emphasis on prevention and in the area of ​​healthy living, “put more effort into research to understand why breast cancer occurs.” It is known that genetic or hereditary cause This is at the lowest level, 5 to 10 percent, but it is unknown whether these are hormonal factors. influence of diet or smoking”. Providing tools to avoid recurrence is another challenge the specialist emphasizes, pointing out that “sometimes not enough is said about women who are not cured and suffer from breast cancer.” metastatic breasttherefore it is necessary to chronicle maximum and let’s join forces in patients’ quality of life and their ability to live with this disease.”

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“Not enough is said about women who are not cured and suffer from metastatic breast cancer.”

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At the relapse level, the expert emphasizes that depending on the stage of the disease, the percentage may be higher or lower: “In the most advanced stages at the time of diagnosis, the probability of relapse is between 20 and 30%. percent, whereas in the initial stages it is less than 10 percent.” Despite this, Vigna emphasizes that the key to relapse is “ diagnostic time And biology tumors.”