Thanks to modern developments in breast cancer research, the Mickelson family are able to make more memories together after being impacted by the disease.
Amy Mickelson, wife of pro golfer Phil Mickelson, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009 and fought the disease for 11 months while going through several courses of chemotherapy. To help her, Phil Mickelson put his golfing career on hold over the next several months. In 2010, he celebrated her being declared “cancer-free” by winning the Augusta National golf tournament in her honor. Since her diagnosis, the Mickelson family has devoted time to spreading awareness of breast cancer and helping families impacted by disease.
Read MoreNavigating A Breast Cancer Diagnosis
While getting multiple opinions concerning treatment are strongly encouraged by doctors, many people don’t follow through. In fact, second opinions can be extremely valuable for patients who are navigating a new breast cancer diagnosis.
"I support second opinions, I actually think it's really important," Dr. Heather Yeo, a colorectal surgeon and advisor to SurvivorNet, said. "If you think about it in life … how do you choose someone to cut your hair? You get an opinion. You usually just don't go in and sit down with the first person you see on the street … if a patient has any questions, I support second opinions 100 percent."
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When your doctor is determining the treatment for your particular cancer there are many considerations that factor into the decision. For example: what is the size of the tumor, and are lymph nodes or other parts of the body involved? Thanks to developments in research, there are many different ways to treat and target breast cancer today no matter what stage the diagnosis.
Dr. Elizabeth Comen explains the overview of breast cancer treatment
CD4/CD6 Inhibitors For Breast Cancer
Due to research findings, breast cancer treatment is continuing to become more targeted and tailor to fit different women’s diagnosis. A class of medications called CD4/CD6 inhibitors is being used more often for women battling a type of metastatic breast cancer called estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer. Estrogen receptor-positive means that this type of cancer needs the hormone estrogen to grow. These CD4/CD6 drugs work to decrease the amount of estrogen that can be taken into a cancer cell, with the goal of slowing the rate at which that cancer cell can expand. There are several different types of CD4/CD6 inhibitors currently on the market, and all of the drugs are taken orally.
“The CD4/CD6 inhibitors can improve what we call their progression-free survival,” says Dr. Elizabeth Comen, a medical oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. “Progression-free survival means how long they live before the cancer comes back, and that’s really important for patients.”
Dr. Elizabeth Comen explains how CD4/CD6 help fight advanced breast cancer
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