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By Kirsten Houmann, Ivanhoe Health Correspondent
ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- New research suggests breast cancer survivors treated with surgery and radiation have a good overall quality of life several years after treatment. Although the rigors of breast cancer treatment usually decrease a womans quality of life temporarily, the results of a survey given at the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia gives hope to these kinds of patients.
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Patients are still often told that theyll never be the same but to say theyll never recover their prior health and prior ability to do their normal activities is just not true, Gary Freedman, M.D., lead researcher and attending physician in the department of radiation oncology at Fox Chase Cancer Center, told Ivanhoe.
The survey was administered to women with early stage breast cancer at various points in their follow-up after surgery and radiation treatment. Questions were included about mobility; self-care; anxiety and depression; pain and discomfort; and ability to perform usual activities.
The index scores gathered were compared to a survey of the general U.S. adult population. Researchers found no significant difference in quality of life between breast cancer patients and the general population.
I think its reassuring to say that from one year to even long-term -- 15 years -- after treatment, we see that the health states of these survivors continue to have excellent levels of functioning and excellent levels of outlook that does not decline over time any differently than it normally would, Dr. Freedman said.
Dr. Freedman noted that one setback of the survey was the fact that it didnt distinguish between pain caused by breast cancer treatment and other types of pain normally associated with aging.
SOURCE: Ivanhoe interview with Gary Freedman, M.D.;Presented at the 50th annual meeting of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology, September 21-25, 2008
If this story or any other Ivanhoe story has impacted your life or prompted you or someone you know to seek or change treatments, please let us know by contacting Lindsay Braun at lbraun@ivanhoe.com.
This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, who offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, go to: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.
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