Beyond Breast Cancer: The Fight Against Recurrence

The following article was distributed by North American precis Syndicate Inc.

The science behind breast cancer continues to evolve, with more information becoming available to benefit women every day.

Moreover, as breast cancer treatment improves, many are paying greater attention to managing the risk of the disease coming back after initial therapy.

Public announcements by high-profile patients like Robin Roberts and Elizabeth Edwards have increased continued awareness about breast cancer. In the case of Edwards, media coverage of her breast cancer recurrence has also helped to educate consumers about this aspect of the disease.

Approximately one-third of women with estrogen receptor-positive early breast cancer experience a recurrence.

Even patients who are considered "low risk" continue to have some risk of the cancer coming back. Studies have shown that more than half of all breast cancer recurrences occur after completion of five years of standard tamoxifen therapy.

Of course, maintaining a healthy lifestyle is important, but it may not be enough. According to a study recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, women who followed a diet high in fruits and vegetables to reduce their risk of breast cancer recurrence showed no benefit from the regimen, with nearly equal recurrence rates between those on this diet and those on a normal diet.

So what can women who have lived through initial breast cancer treatment do to help reduce their risk of recurrence?

"With more than 2 million breast cancer patients in the U.S., the focus on reducing a patient's risk of recurrence has become an important aspect of treatment for physicians," said Dr. Bruce Feinberg, president and CEO of Georgia Cancer Specialists.

"Treating postmenopausal early breast cancer patients with an aromatase inhibitor has been shown to greatly reduce their risk of a breast cancer recurrence."