Could delaying chemotherapy help patients fight cancer?
October 2010
A study just published in The Lancet found that when a
patient's ovarian cancer recurs, there is nothing to gain from
starting treatment as soon as tests show the disease has
returned. In fact, delaying treatment until they have actual
symptoms slightly extends life expectancy.
The trial, which was funded by the Medical Research Council
(MRC) and the European Organisation for the Research and Treatment
of Cancer, involved 1,442 women in the UK and other European
countries who had gone into remission following treatment for
advanced ovarian cancer.
Ovacome, the ovarian cancer support network, welcomes the
study, but has some reservations.
Chief executive Louise Bayne says: "It means patients can delay
treatment to a time that suits them. However, I do have concerns
that at a time when hospitals are under tight financial
constraints, some may interpret this wrongly as a green light to
withdraw follow-up services and monitoring for women who have been
through ovarian cancer."
Read more at
The Daily Mail
