Breast cancer treatment is experiencing a “revolution”

The medical oncologist at Puerta de Hierro University Hospital from Majadahonda (Madrid) Blanca Cantos has highlighted that the treatments of breast cancer In recent years, they have been experiencing a “revolution” thanks to the research and development of new drugs, which is making it possible to improve the survival and quality of life of patients.

This was stated this Monday during the presentation of the campaign ‘Nuances that matter’, that the pharmaceutical company MSD has launched to make visible the different realities that breast cancer patients experience at the time of diagnosis and during their journey with the disease, coinciding with the month of awareness about this cancer.

Cantos has detailed that breast cancer is a “heterogeneous” disease, Well, there are several types of tumors, such as triple negative or hormonal, and each patient has different needs. Given this, he stressed that currently treatments are “more personalized” and “directed.”

“We have seen new molecules. immunotherapy has been a revolution in the treatment of triple negative breast cancer. We have managed to cure a higher percentage of patients. We have managed to ensure that there are more patients who do not reach metastatic stages and even in metastatic disease we have managed to increase survival with this treatment,” he said.

Along with this, the oncologist has pointed to immunoconjugate drugs (ADC), which allow chemotherapy to be administered selectively to tumor cells, and to de-escalation of surgery, that is, offering less aggressive, less mutilating surgery for women.

For Cantos, this is just “the tip of the iceberg” and in the coming years there will continue to be beneficial advances, with new treatments or, thanks to technology and artificial intelligence (AI), earlier tumor detections and more personalized screening campaigns, as well as a more individual approach to each patient.

Integrate the patient’s wishes

For her part, the head of the Medical Oncology Service of the Quirónsalud University Hospital MadridLucía González Cortijohas emphasized how the approach model for a breast cancer patient has changed in the last 20 years.

As he explained, a model has been passed “absolutely paternalistic“, in which the doctor was the one who established what had to be done and there were cases of patients who came directly to the surgeon without having gone through the oncologist, to a model in which the patient arrived at the consultation much more informed and participated in the decision making.

“And we in some way have to integrate all those desires or desires, which is possible, of course sometimes trying to discourage some things that are not possible,” he noted, indicating that factors such as the patient’s family and work environment are now taken into account, with the aim of making the approach “more comprehensive.”

Both specialists have agreed on the importance of multidisciplinary work, with teams that include, along with oncologists, surgeons, radiologists and nurses, psycho-oncologists and nutritionists. “Everyone has an important role (…) We try to ensure that everyone is at their service (the patients) to help them,” González Cortijo pointed out.

At this point, oncologists have highlighted the benefits of incorporating physical activity, combining aerobic and outdoor exercises, and a good diet as part of the comprehensive treatment of breast cancer.

Challenge: young patient

Blanca Cantos has pointed out that the average age of breast cancer is falling, since there is a “significant percentage” of patients under 40 years of age. This “opens up new needs” and “new challenges,” he warned in reference to fertility, since many of these patients have not had children and want to have them, but many treatments reduce reproductive capacity.

“It is a challenge that is open to us and for which there is also an important avenue of research, trying to define very well at what moment they can stop the treatment, at what moment we can indicate that a patient can become pregnant, trying to preserve fertility before starting the treatments,” the oncologist explained.

In this context, oncologists have pointed out that one of the measures that will have to be reviewed soon is lower the age for ‘screening’ campaigns, that is, mammograms, which currently in Spain are usually performed from the age of 50, although there are variations by autonomous community.

Even so, they have pointed out that it is not so easy to change these campaigns, since the benefit-risk must be assessed and confirm that the change will have a positive impact on mortality with respect to its economic cost.

Finally, oncologists have insisted that patients must be Pay attention to any changes in breast tissueas well as in the case of having a family history of cancer, and go to a professional when you notice any type of sign. “We cannot remain with the false peace of mind that I have had a mammogram and I do not have breast cancer” because it can appear after months, Cantos concluded by way of raising awareness.

Through the campaign ‘Nuances that matter’, MSD seeks to evolve the pink color that identifies breast cancer to reflect the enormous diversity of what this reality implies. “Because there is no single pink. There are as many shades of pink as there are breast cancers, patients, stages, ways of experiencing it, ages and vital moments,” stressed the medical director of Oncology of the company in Spain, Rute Álvarez, who recalled that this year it is estimated that there will be 37,000 new diagnoses in the country.