The research, which involved 3,482 women from 75 Austrian centers, is in phase III and the scientists consider that its results are practically ready to begin to be applied clinically.
“Defining the optimal duration of therapy in seven years helps us eliminate avoidable side effects in the long run, millions of women around the world,” the study director, surgeon Michael Gnant, explained to EFE.
THOUSANDS OF AFFECTED AROUND THE WORLD
Breast cancer is the most widespread among women in the world and this specific subtype (with positive hormone receptors) is the most common among postmenopausal patients.
The peculiarity of this type of cancer is that receptors (estrogen or progesterone) appear on the outside of the tumor cells that “feed” on these hormones to grow faster.
To combat it, patients usually receive surgery, radiotherapy and, in most cases, an endocrine treatment to block the action of hormones that generates many side effects in more than 70% of cases.
“The main side effects of anti-hormonal therapy are hot flashes, weight gain, decreased sex drive, hair loss, and accelerated osteoporosis, sometimes even leading to fractures,” Gnant explains.
IMPROVEMENT IN THE QUALITY OF LIFE
Until now, this treatment was applied for a minimum of 5 years and a maximum of 10, but this study shows that it is possible to reduce its intensity while maintaining the same results.
Many patients decided to prolong treatment for fear that the disease might recur, Gnant explains.
However, the research, in which two groups of patients were controlled, one under a 10-year therapy and the other, with 7 years, reveals that it is not necessary to subject the body to endocrine therapy for that long.
Between the two groups “there were no differences in oncological outcomes (disease-free survival was the primary endpoint), so 7 years is the optimal duration of treatment,” insists Gnant.
Researchers admit, however, that each case is different and that longer-lasting endocrine therapy may still be beneficial in more severely ill patients.
For the rest of the women affected, this finding will allow them to shorten their treatments and improve their quality of life by eliminating adverse effects that are harmful to health.
