What Percentage of BC Patients are Treated with Chemotherapy?

It's an interesting question---what %. You might ask the Johns Hopkin's nurse who answers questions online. That seems like something she might know.

I think the rates of chemo are probably going down, with the rise of genomic testing like Oncotype and Mammaprint, which are specifically for being able to weed out those who wouldn't statistically benefit from chemo. It's not that the cancer isn't as bad or severe, just that it won't respond enough to the chemo to make it worth it.

I feel like people around me have indicated that my cancer is not a big deal because I didn't get chemo. I would beg to differ, having experienced the misery of radiation. :-P

I only have information on specific subgroups of patients.

According to one source, "chemotherapy use is under-reported in SEER. Although the magnitude of under-reporting is unknown, one study involving the Medicare population suggested a 30% relative under-ascertainment."

So, subject to certain limitations arising from the study design, here is one recent study in a group of patients with "invasive disease (stage I–II) that was ER-positive and HER2-negative." See also, references cited therein.

Kurian (2017), "Recent Trends in Chemotherapy Use and Oncologists' Treatment Recommendations for Early-Stage Breast Cancer"

https://academic.oup.com/jnci/advance-article/doi/10.1093/jnci/djx239/4718501

Free pdf available.

Related Medscape feature re Kurian: 'Powerful Trend': Chemo Use for Breast Cancer Drops

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/890227?src=medscapeapp-ipad&ref=email

Medscape registration is free. To access the full-text without registration, google the title of the article above in bold.

BarredOwl

Hi,

I'm in England and I had a multifocal breast cancer - 7 invasive tumours and lots of high grade dcis, 12.4 cm in total. I really struggled with the no chemotherapy or radiotherapy, I still am. I was wondering were all of your tumours tested for HER2, and were all of them sent for an oncotype test? Only two of mine were tested for HER2 and one was sent for oncotype testing. Six years ago a woman I know was treated by the same people at the same hospital with the same diagnosis and histology was given chemotherapy and radiotherapy just to make absolutely certain that they get all of it. I've been told that they've stopped 'over-treatment' as women have been left worse off. I've been put on 5 years of tamoxifen and not 10 years because I'm a 'low risk' (oncotype for one tumour was 12). In my eyes, low risk doesn't mean NO risk!

If there is anyone else out there with a case like mine I'd love to hear from you.