| A woman's chances of surviving breast cancer | | | | Women diagnosed in their late 40s stand a better |
| depend on early diagnosis of this ailment and | | | | chance of surviving the disease over the long term |
| treatment. Higher rates of survival in recent years | | | | as compared to the women who contract it in their |
| are because the reason that the average tumor is | | | | 20s or 30's. The age of the women at diagnosis is an |
| smaller in size and not merely because treatments | | | | extremely important factor of survival. Doctors are |
| have improved. Doctors often stress on regular | | | | likely to modify the way they treat after a study |
| mammograms for an increase in early detection. This | | | | that found that combination of chemotherapy with |
| can lead to earlier treatment when the tumors are | | | | hormonal treatment increases women's chances for |
| smaller. | | | | long-term survival. The study also reported that |
| Many women should consider taking a combination of | | | | removal of the ovaries had life-prolonging benefits in |
| chemotherapy drugs after surgery for localized | | | | breast cancer patients. |
| breast cancer. This additional treatment improves | | | | According to a study radiation after surgery for |
| long-term survival rates. Three to six months of | | | | early-stage breast cancer improves survival chances |
| treatment with two or more chemotherapy drugs is | | | | for most patients. The study found that women who |
| considered optimal by the experts. This additional | | | | omitted radiation therapy after surgery had higher |
| chemo therapy treatment will even benefit those | | | | mortality rate than women who had the radiation |
| women whose cancer has not spread to their lymph | | | | therapy. |
| nodes. | | | | |