FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
September 3, 2008
CONTACT:
Dan Sweet
571-483-1355
dan.sweet@asco.org
– Black Women are Less Likely than White Women to Receive
Radiation Therapy after Lumpectomy;
Access to Radiation Can’t Explain Higher Rates of Mastectomy Among Rural Women;
Molecular Breast Imaging More Effective Than Mammography in Women
with Dense Breasts, Increased Cancer Risk;
Change in HER2 Status Suggests Why Some Women
Do Not Respond Fully to Trastuzumab –
Washington, DC— New research on breast cancer treatment, detection and disparities in care were released today in advance of the 2008 Breast Cancer Symposium, being held September 5-7, 2008, at the Washington Hilton.
Studies highlighted today in a media webcast include:
- A study finding that black women are less likely than white women to receive radiation therapy following surgery for breast cancer, and these disparities vary greatly by region of the United States.
- A study finding that women in rural and urban areas have equivalent rates of radiation therapy following breast cancer surgery, suggesting that factors other than access to radiation are responsible for significant differences in mastectomy rates.
- A study concluding that molecular breast imaging detects three times as many breast tumors as mammography in women with dense breasts and an increased risk of breast cancer.
- A study finding that there may be changes in the HER2 status of a tumor in about one-third of women who do not have a complete response to treatment with chemotherapy and the HER2-targeted therapy trastuzumab (Herceptin) before surgery.
It is estimated that more than 184,000 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed in the United States in 2008, and nearly 41,000 people will die from the disease.
“We’ve seen major improvements in breast cancer treatment over the past several years, but it’s unacceptable that these advances are not reaching everyone in need. One of the highlighted studies demonstrates that disparities in care between black and white women persist. We need to work harder to close the gap in access to care,” said Eric Winer, MD, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, director of the Breast Oncology Center at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and moderator of the press briefing. “Another study offers new insight into a promising and future alternative to mammography, while a third will help us personalize care based on a better understanding of the molecular characteristics of a patient’s tumor.”
The 2008 Breast Cancer Symposium is co-sponsored by the American Society of Breast Disease, The American Society of Breast Surgeons, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology, the National Consortium of Breast Centers, Inc. and the Society of Surgical Oncology.
Information for Media:
www.asco.org/BCSpresskit08
Relevant Links on ASCO’s Cancer.Net:
Click here to view the entire release.
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