Breast Cancer Breakthrough: Charlotte Patients Could Avoid Chemo

CHARLOTTE, NC — Researchers announced a breakthrough in breast cancer treatment.

More than 65,000 women nation-wide diagnosed with breast cancer every year may be able to skip chemotherapy.

That diagnosis was one of the darkest moments of Moira Quinn’s life.

“It’s really scary,” said Quinn. “There were times when I really didn’t know if I was going to live.”

She says there were times when the chemotherapy diminished her quality of life, destroyed her immune system. Her grandchildren couldn’t even visit in fear of getting her sick.

“Chemo is very hard,” said Quinn. “I would never tell anybody that these treatments are easy.”

Starting Monday, there is a bright spot.

After a nine-year study of more than 10,000 women, researchers funded by the National Cancer Institute announced that you likely do not need chemo if you have an early stage breast cancer and there’s no fear it will come back.

You just need an estrogen blocker pill. Doctors say that pill has side effects but it doesn’t make you sick like chemotherapy.

In Charlotte, that would be 70 percent of patients.

“These results will greatly impact my clinical practice when I return to Charlotte,” said Dr. Antoinette Tan.

She works at Levine Cancer Institute but was at a conference in Chicago where researchers announced the news.

She says she gets to tell her first patient who can benefit this week.

“We can tell our patients that they can avoid chemotherapy,” said Dr. Tan. “We can spare them the side effects of chemotherapy.”

That goes for about 65,000 women a year in the U.S., according to the study.

Quinn immediately thinks about her granddaughter and the future.

“That’s what this says to me today: we are moving step by step closer to a world without breast cancer,” said Quinn. “What a wonderful thing!”

The study only followed women over 50-years-old who had surgery. You should check with your doctor to see if this research will impact you or your family.