Monday, October 28, 2013

MYTH MONDAY: Progress HAS been made toward breast cancer cures

Over the last 30 years significant advances have been made that have led to decreased mortality and increased survival rates. Progress in both early detection and treatment has led to improved survival for people of all ages and races, and with all stages of breast cancer. Between 1990 and 2009, breast cancer mortality (death) declined by 33% among women in the United States. And 30 years ago, the five-year relative survival rate for breast cancer was about 74%. Today, this number has increased to 98%.

  • Increased awareness has led to better screening and earlier detection which leads to better prognosis and survival. 
  • Surgical procedures have been developed that are less invasive, use sentinel node biopsy, and improved reconstruction that lead to better quality of life post surgery. 
  • Significant strides in research have led to more options and more effective chemotherapy and hormone therapies. 
  • New targeted therapies have been developed and now even implemented for specific tumor types. 
  • New treatments for metastatic breast cancer have not only extended survival, but more importantly dramatically improved quality of life.
Over the past 20 years, great progress has been made in the early detection and treatment of breast cancer. As a result, the number of breast cancer survivors continues to rise.

For more information on progress


 
 

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