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Many women do not receive appropriate breast cancer treatment

Category: Breast

A positive breast cancer test is not the death sentence it once was. There are now many treatments available for the condition that have driven survival rates considerably higher. However, many women with breast cancer never receive these therapies, according to a new study published in the journal Cancer.

The Anderson Cancer Center researchers who conducted the study said that radiation after surgery has saved the lives of many women with breast cancer and is a recommended treatment, particularly for those with advanced cases of the disease.

However, after reviewing the medical records of more than 38,000 women who were given a mastectomy for invasive breast cancer, the team found that nearly half of these patients never received radiation therapy.

The investigators said that they believe their findings reflect a failure on the part of many physicians to stay current with the available medical research.

"When physicians are not guided by published evidence, there is the chance that patient outcomes will suffer or that patients will undergo unnecessary treatments and tests," said Dr. Shervin Shirvani, who led the study.