A vast study calls into question the interest of chemos in breast cancer

His code name: Aster 70s! Therefore, This large study made public in The Lancet August 1. Nevertheless, conducted in 84 clinical centers in France and Belgium with women aged 70 and over with breast cancer is a first: it aims to assess The effect of chemotherapy on global survival Of these elderly patients with high -risk tumors. Meanwhile, It is “A major advance towards a more personalized management. For example, adapted to the age and the fragility of the patients”, Welcomes Unicancer, who promotes this work in partnership with the Institut Curie. Therefore, With more than 60. Therefore, 000 new cases each yearbreast cancer is the most common cancer in women in France, it is also the deadliest, despite good healing rates. Moreover,

Breast cancer: Age is a determining factor? For example, – Vast study calls question interest

The figures vary a little according to the sources but vast study calls question interest breast cancer is often cancer which is triggered well after menopause. Moreover, 80 % of breast cancers are in all cases diagnosed after 50 years. “Breast cancer is diagnosed in around 20. 000 women after 70 years in France every year, which represents a third of the new cases each yearexplains the Dre Catherine Terret, oncogeriastre, in an article of Léon Bérard cancer center. And it is between 70 and 74 years that the incidence rate is maximum.”This figure that will continue to increase according to it because“The general population continues to age. leading to an increase in cases of breast cancer beyond 70 years, cancer remaining a pathology of the elderly.”Adapting the therapeutic strategy to these target patients is therefore a major issue. especially since the aggressiveness of breast cancer does not weaken with age:“The proportion of aggressive forms remains relatively superimposable regardless of age au diagnostic”Concludes the oncogeriatrician. vast study calls question interest

Women over 70: a more personalized care offer in case of breast cancer – Vast study calls question interest

Better treat these women aged 70. over, especially when they are carrying an aggressive tumor, it is the will of the teams that have mobilized to assess the interest of chemotherapy for these patients. Because for cancer. as for many other pathologies, the most is not always the best friend: better targeting the treatments is today a path planned for a more personalized care offer. The idea being gain in efficiency but also in quality of life. Treatments being always accompanied by health risks and sometimes severe undesirable effects.

Chemotherapy does not improve the chances of healing after 70 years

In this case. the conclusions of doctors who have studied the relevance of chemotherapy combined with hormoneotherapy versus hormone only are clear: the benefit of chemotherapy has not been demonstrated in women over 70 years vast study calls question interest old with hormone -dependent breast cancer. “” “L‘Addition of chemotherapy does not provide significant benefit in terms of global survival”. Specify the authors who add that the difference between the deaths of women who have followed or not chemotherapy in addition to hormone therapy is not” statistically significant ”whether at 4 or 8 years after the end of treatments.

Chemotherapy toxicity: a degraded quality of life

Above all, the chemotherapy turned out to be much more toxic. “Adverse effects of grade 3. more occurred in 34 % of patients treated with chemotherapy, compared to only 9 % in the hormone therapy group alone“Indicates the study.

To which must be added a real impact on the quality of life because women who have received chemotherapy complain of fatigue. pain, digestive disorders and a drop in autonomy.

“These results confirm that therapeutic decisions must take into account not only tumor biology. but also vast study calls question interest age, fragility and expectations of patients, Details Professor Etienne Brain, medical oncologist at the Institut Curie, principal investigator of the ASTER 70S study. They encourage revise how Standards established in younger subjects are then applied to older subjects without high proof level. with little-until-maker.”