Sadhana Chalasani Supports New Blood Test Signaling Breast Cancer's Return
Online, August 20, 2012 (Newswire.com) - Breast cancer research has just gotten a major breakthrough. According to a CNN story, early research has found an existing blood test could help early-stage breast cancer patients, who had tumors surgically removed, detect if their cancer is returning. For some women, this would mean a more aggressive form of cancer treatment. Sadhana Chalasani, a breast cancer supporter, believes the research will save many more lives.
M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Texas conducted the research. Doctors took blood samples from 302 women with stage 1, 2 or 3 breast cancer before their tumors were surgically removed. None of the women underwent chemotherapy. The doctors followed the patient's progress for nearly three years.
Researchers discovered 73 women, or 24 percent, had at least one circulating tumor cell; 29 women, or 10 percent, had at least two circulating tumor cells in their sample; and 16, or 5 percent, had at least three or more tumor cells in their blood sample. Dr. Anthony Lucci, who headed up the study, said if a woman had just one circulating tumor cell in her sample, she had four times of a greater chance of dying, compared to a woman with no circulating tumor cells. If three or more tumors were found in the blood sample, that woman's probability of dying went up to 11 percent, he said. In the end, the study found that 31 percent of the women learned their cancer came back or died during the study period.
Sadhana Chalasani was astounded when she learned how many women battled against cancer again or lost their lives to the disease during the study. In an effort to raise awareness about breast cancer, Sadhana Chalasani started the Pink Ribbon Club Foundation at her high school.
She plans to share the results of this study with her friends, family and peers in hopes that more people will support the cause.
Dr. Boris Pasche, director of the Division of Hematology and Oncology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, said if the results are validated in larger clinical trials, it may lead to a new screening method to help determine if a woman is more likely to see her cancer return.
"This provides a new train of thought of how we should handle women with early-stage breast cancer because we could identify women who have a high risk of recurrences and early death and treat them differently," he said.
M.D. Anderson is continuing its research with additional studies. Sadhana Chalsani looks forward to seeing how the research will better the health and longevity of breast cancer survivors.
ABOUT:
Sadhana Chalasani, a student at Saint Edward's School, has combined her passion for learning, leadership, and community service by founding many organizations, like the Grassroots AIDS Advocacy Program and Pink Ribbon Club. Additionally, she is a member of Mu Alpha Theta, National Honor Society and Model United Nations.