Sudbury doctor part of research into ways to treat breast cancer without radiation

Research published last month in the New England Journal of Medicine and co-authored by a Sudbury oncologist could help many breast cancer patients avoid radiation therapy.

Dr. Julie Bowen, a radiation oncologist with Sudbury’s cancer centre, is one of the co-authors of the study, which could lead to more personalized care and improved outcomes for some breast cancer patients.

“This study is already leading to important changes in breast cancer treatment,” Bowen is quoted as saying in a news release Friday from Health Sciences North.

“Breast-conserving surgery has long been the preferred choice for women with early breast cancer. For most patients, this means undergoing radiation therapy, which can come with its own challenges.”

In addition to the grind of having daily treatments for up to five weeks, radiation can cause short- and long-term side-effects such as “fatigue, skin irritation, breast swelling, and breast pain,” the release said.

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The study looked at 500 women aged 55 and older from across Canada, including northern Ontario, with a specific subtype of low-risk breast cancer: the luminal A subtype.

Previously, patients living with this form of cancer would receive both hormonal therapy and radiotherapy. However, researchers found that treatment could be administered without radiotherapy, with a remarkably low risk of local recurrence at the five-year mark.

“Here at HSN, we are reviewing our processes in a way that will spare many women the challenges of radiotherapy, ensuring a more comfortable care journey,” Bowen said.