Some older breast cancer patients may not need radiotherapy after surgery, study suggests

(Don Mitchell/ Global News) — McMaster researchers say a recent study is suggesting that older women with early-stage breast cancer may not need traditional radiotherapy treatment after undergoing surgery.

In an initiative to determine whether some cancer patients can safely skip post-surgery radiation or chemotherapy, Dr. Timothy Whelan says a certain subtype of Stage 1 breast cancer can be effectively treated with just surgery and endocrine therapy.

“These findings are exciting because we have identified a certain group of patients who can avoid radiotherapy and its associated side effects and potentially change for the better medical practice around the treatment of breast cancer,” said Whelan. (…)