Are Obese Women Getting Short-Changed By Chemotherapy Treatments?

How much chemotherapy does an obese woman need? Typically an obese woman with breast cancer would receive reduced doses of chemotherapy as they battle breast cancer.

Back in June of 2005, a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine concluded that obese women should receive chemotherapy based on their actual weight, and not in reduced as amounts as it the standard practice.

And now again a study presented in the August 2005 edition of Lancet claims that doctors should not reduce chemotherapy doses for obese women when no receptors for the hormone oestrogen have been found on the breast cancer cells. This type of cancer is called oestrogen-receptor negative.

Clinicians often reduce chemotherapy doses for obese patients because of worries about how the treatment may react with the patient and affect their overall health.

According to the study's director Marco Colleoni of the European Institute of Oncology, Italy, and his colleagues, reducing the first course of chemotherapy for obese patients with oestrogen-receptor negative breast cancer proves "detrimental".

Colleoni and his team looked at the relation between body-mass index (BMI), chemotherapy dose reduction, oestrogen receptor expression, and outcome for pre-menopausal women with breast cancer by examining data from four randomized trials.

They found that 97 out of 249 obese patients received less than 85% of protocol specified dose during the first course of chemotherapy compared with patients with normal and intermediate BMI.

Obese patients with oestrogen-receptor negative disease that received 85% or more of the first protocol specified dose had significantly better disease-free survival and overall survival than those who received less than 85% of the normally recommended dosage.

Yet, obese patients with oestrogen-receptor positive breast cancer who had reduced doses of chemotherapy did not have a significant difference in their outcome compared with those given the recommended chemotherapy doses.

And contrary to popular practice, the researchers also noticed that obese patients initially treated with protocol doses of chemotherapy did not have more toxicity than patients who received reduced doses.

Dr Marco Colleoni concluded that, "Our findings suggest that for women with ER-absent or ER-low tumours, reduction in chemotherapy dose should be avoided."

The message for obese women coping with cancer is to be aware of your risks and rights. Ask your doctor will she recommend lower doses of chemotherapy for you based on your weight and ask why.

Resources: Lancet, Archives of Internal Medicine

Health author and Stanford University graduate Naweko San-Joyz lovingly writes from her home in San Diego. Her works include Acne Messages: Crack the Code of Your Zits and Say Goodbye to Acne (ISBN: 0974912204) and Skinny Fat Chicks, Why We're Still Not Getting This Dieting Thing (ISBN: 0974912212). Naweko created the Noixia philosophy to help people enhance their lives by connecting with their inner-mysteries and inner-selves. Her works take often over-looked, yet viable research and transforms in into practical tools that people can use to improve their health. Get useful, but too often ignored women's health news by visiting http://www.Noixia.com, Where Beauty Means Health.

St-Pierre-Miquelon woman not told about faulty breast cancer tests
Canada.com, Canada - 1 hour ago
The fact that a group of French women on the islands of St-Pierre-Miquelon were the last to know about mistakes in their breast cancer tests shows the need ...
NL agency did poor job informing St-Pierre women of cancer tests ... The Canadian Press
French patients demand standing at cancer test inquiry AOL Canada
St. Pierre patients not second class: Eastern Health St. John's Telegram
all 17 news articles

Canada.com
Plastic surgeons' discarded breast tissue aids cancer research
Canada.com, Canada - 8 hours ago
VANCOUVER - To learn about what triggers breast cancer and how to create better treatments, scientists first have to know more about the composition and ...

Breast Cancer: How Tumor Cells Break Free And Form Metastases
Science Daily (press release) - 2 hours ago
At the Institut Curie, CNRS Director of Research Philippe Chavrier and his group have just discovered how breast cancer cells break the bonds that tether ...

Eighty-four teachers sensitized on breast cancer
Accra Daily Mail, Ghana - 12 hours ago
By Administrator, on 04-07-2008 09:16 A breast cancer awareness programme was held for 84 female teachers at Asankare near Juaso in the Asante Akim- South ...

* Estrogen-limiting drug combo good for post-menopausal breast ...
Daily Times, Pakistan - Jul 3, 2008
By Ali Raza Mehdi KARACHI: Studies have shown that some medicinal techniques, especially a combination of drugs, can help post-menopausal breast cancer ...

SC Allocates $2M To Expand Breast, Cervical Cancer Screening ...
Medical News Today (press release), UK - 9 hours ago
Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women in South Carolina, the AP/Observer reports. About 1000 women in the state die from the ...
SC helps with cancer screenings Myrtle Beach Sun News
all 2 news articles

Radiotherapy Treatment For Breast Cancer
eNews Park Forest, IL - 3 hours ago
She developed the symptoms of breast cancer in 2006 and has undergone extensive treatment since then. Apart from describing her radiotherapy experiences she ...

Cancer survival up since NHS launch
guardian.co.uk, UK - Jul 2, 2008
The survival rate for colon cancer more than doubled from 18% to 47%, and breast cancer survival also more than doubled, from 37% to 77%, between 1946 and ...

Soy: It can prevent breast cancer – in one group of women
What Doctors Don't Tell You, UK - 10 hours ago
This supposed super food has its champions, and an equal number of detractors, but it seems it can dramatically reduce the risk of breast cancer for one ...

ONE SMALL STEP FOR GIBRALTAR, ONE GIANT LEAP FOR BREAST CANCER ...
gibfocus.gi, Gibraltar - 9 hours ago
Nearly 2000 people took part in the 6 Km midnight ‘Lunar Walk’ in aid of breast cancer awareness, and about £15000 was raised for breast cancer care ...

Wind Chimes and more...

Windchimes for great gifts!

Breast Cancer The Cure