More Therapy Suggested for Rare Breast Cancer
Reported December 15, 2009
(Ivanhoe Newswire) — Researchers at The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center have identified an association between a rare type of breast cancer and multiple tumors undetected by mammography or ultrasound.
Mucinous carcinoma is a type of invasive breast cancer that has long been associated with a favorable prognosis. The study is the first to observe a negative association. The researchers cautions that more, not less, therapy and additional screening may be needed for a select group of patients.
Our findings must caution those caring for these women that they may not only need more radiographic evaluation, such as MRI, but also intraoperative collaboration with radiology and pathology. These patients also may need standard radiation treatment, rather than the minimal effective therapy, which could include no post-surgery treatment at all,” George Perkins, M.D., associate professor in M.D. Anderson Department of Radiation Oncology was quoted as saying.
In a follow-up study researchers are evaluating a subtype of mucinous breast cancer thought to be exceedingly aggressive in hopes of establishing specific screening and treatment guidelines.
SOURCE: CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, December 12, 2009
