This better-safe-than-sorry approach has led to unnecessary treatment, which might now be avoided.
这种“保险总比遗憾好”的态度促成了诸多不必要的治疗,如今或许都可以免去了。
An earlier arm of TAILORx showed that women with low risk of recurrence (scores below 10) might not need chemotherapy;
TAILORx的早期研究就表明,复发风险较低(得分低于10分)的患者或许并不需要化疗;
now more than 60,000 women in the U.S. with intermediate risk scores up to 25 can be added to that group.
如今,6万余名评估结果高达25分,面临中等复发风险的患者也能被划入这一行列了。
“Chemo is not killing any more cancer cells than are being killed by hormone therapy,” says Norton.
“化疗杀死的癌细胞并不比激素疗法杀死的癌细胞多,”诺顿说道。
“I don’t see chemo playing a role in this setting at all.”
“我并不觉得化疗在这方面能发挥多大作用。”
This new treatment strategy applies mostly to women older than 50, who are usually past menopause,
这种新的治疗方案主要适用于50岁以上,通常已经过了更年期的女性患者,
when levels of estrogen, which feeds breast tumors, start to drop.
因为这一年龄段的女性体内,乳腺肿瘤所依赖的雌激素水平已经开始下降了。
For younger women with intermediate risk scores (16 to 25),
但对于面临中等风险(评估结果在16~25分之间)的年轻女性而言,
there may still be some benefit to relying on chemotherapy
化疗或许仍有一定的好处,
since it may push them into early menopause and lower their exposure to estrogen.
因为化疗可能会让她们提前绝经,降低她们体内雌激素的水平。
THE RESULTS MAY HERALD a new era in which doctors make smarter decisions about how much is enough when treating certain cancers.
这一研究结果或许预示着一个新时代的到来——医生们在治疗某些癌症时,对于多大强度才算足够这一问题终于能做出更明智的决定了。
“This is the dawn of the de-escalation era,” says Hurvitz.
“这一发现堪称拉开了降级时代的序幕,”赫维兹说。
“We need to move forward looking for ways to deescalate therapy
“针对那些既限制了患者的生活质量,还会给患者带来潜在伤害的治疗方案,
that is not just limiting quality of life but also potentially harming patients.”
我们有必要继续寻找降低这类治疗的强度的办法。”
That streamlining can also contribute to cost savings.
提高治疗效率也有助于节省成本。
The Oncotype DX test runs about $3,000 to $4,000 (covered by most insurers),
Oncotype DX检测的费用为3000~4000美元(大多数保险公司都有覆盖),
but for tens of thousands of women it could potentially spare them from chemotherapy, which can cost, on average, $20,000.
但对成千上万的女性患者而言,这一研究结果或许能帮她们免去均价高达2万美元的化疗。
Even apart from the financial benefit, for women like Lacetti, the findings provide welcome reassurance
即便不考虑经济利益,对于拉凯蒂这样的患者而言,此次的研究结果还是一剂令人欣慰的强心剂,
that they can avoid a dreaded part of cancer care that comes with serious side effects and long-term health consequences.
表明她们可以免去癌症治疗过程中十分可怕,可能伴随严重的副作用以及长期的健康问题的一个环节。
“It’s wonderful,” she says.
“太好了,”她说。
“My sister had to quit her job to do chemo and stayed in the hospital for 11 months.
“当初,我姐姐为了化疗把工作都辞了,还住了11个月的院。
I’m able to keep my job and spend more time with my family.
我不仅能继续工作,还能有更多时间陪伴家人。
I’m glad they had this study, and I’m glad I was able to be a part of it.”
我很高兴他们做了这项研究,也很高兴能参与其中。”