Breakthrough research for cancer patients may be offering a crystal ball outlook in screening for breast cancer, but will it help reverse the curse or simply notify you in advance, is the million dollar question. Mostly, it can tell a patient what the propensity of reoccurrence may be for the spread of metastatic cancer cells and how that could affect their future health.
Early diagnosis may allow a doctor to take a more aggressive treatment route or prepare a patient in advance of the potential future of their disease, while assessing the risks of its return and what that may mean to the patient.
According to the “Lancet Report”, the occurrence of one or more CTC’s (circulating tumor cells) in the blood stream predicted early reoccurrence and, if left untreated, decreased the possibility of survival. The main purpose of the research is to determine if these cells were likely to spread beyond their original location (nonmetastatic). Early detection can help advance the stages of treatment more aggressively with the hope of a more positive outcome for the patient.
The study examined 302 patients, of which 24% were identified as having CTC’s in their blood samples. In short, those found with higher concentration of CTCs (one or more circulating tumor cells) had higher rates of relapse and less hopeful outcomes if left untreated.
As “gatekeepers”, General Practitioners are critical care providers who are heavily relied upon in the initial screening. The recent study revealed some very disturbing evidence: In some countries, GP’s are failing miserably at treating their patients properly for cancer and the potential of it’s dangerous spread and/or occurrence. Twenty-five percent of those patient’s symptoms were ignored or simply delayed in receiving proper treatment recommendations. Should early detection of CTCs be made available early on, no one will suffer from misaligned advice or poor treatment advice.
Quick Tips for Wellness: Ask your doctor what tests are currently available for your current condition and make certain your doctor is being “proactive” in their recommendations for you care.
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Resources: http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanonc/article/PIIS1470-2045%2812%2970247-4/fulltext
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