Older patients benefit from aggressive cancer treatment

Wendy Rigby

A recent medical study is good news for older women. It shows that patients older than 70 can benefit from aggressive radiation treatment for breast cancer.

Now, that treatment is getting more convenient.

Thelma Phillips, 81, knew the day might come. She had a mother and four sisters who died of breast cancer, and in March, she discovered she had it, too.

“I felt the lump. It was very plain,” Phillips said.

Her doctor, radiation oncologist Dr. Marta Dahiya, said after her surgery to remove the lump, she was a candidate for a new kind of radiation called MammoSite. It’s like radiation from the inside out.

A balloon is inserted into the cavity left behind after the operation. Radiation is inserted into the balloon twice a day for 10 days, then the treatment is complete. It’s a good option for wheelchair-bound patients who live in rural areas, like Phillips.

“If they are healthy, they may benefit from these treatments and they may need to be treated as aggressively as younger patients,” Dahiya said.

Studies have shown the long-term outcome of the MammoSite treatment is just as good as conventional seven-week radiation from an external source. For older patients, it may be welcome option.

Phillips said she felt no pain and is glad to have it over.

“If I can help some other lady get through it, if she sees that it worked with me, might be it work with her,” Phillips said.

With more women living longer and healthier, doctors say treating their breast cancer with radiation will ensure their golden years stay golden.

“They are patients that are very healthy,” Dahiya said. “Patients that keep their live very active, and I think that will benefit and will keep their quality of life.”

The bottom line is that doctors now believe a patient’s age alone should not determine whether she receives radiation, and that many older women will benefit greatly with minimal side effects.

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