As
we round out Daffodil Month, some exciting findings in
breast cancer research have emerged that could hopefully
reduce the burden of the disease and its treatment for
women. The most dramatic was probably the claim that common
osteoporosis drug raloxifene reduces the risk of breast
cancer as much as tamoxifen in older women. In the huge
study, 20,000 women were given one or the other drug;
both groups had their risk factor slashed by 50%.
Another advance that will help
physicians better target treatment for breast cancer
is selecting chemo based on estrogen sensitivity ("Estrogen
dictates chemo use in breast CA" on page 3).
This study found that improvements in chemotherapy mean
that women with estrogen-negative tumours now have a
better chance of survival, and that women with estrogen-positive
tumours can avoid chemo in favour of estrogen blockers.
Better tests for estrogen sensitivity will save many
breast cancer patients from an unnecessary aggressive
treatment course.
With cancer research taking occasional
giant steps like these, and better national screening
programs hopefully on the horizon ("New
CA screening guidelines a step in the right direction"
on page 19), we can dare to imagine an April where
the appearance of daffodils simply means spring is here.
— Gillian Woodford, Editor
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