Patients with breast cancer (in all stages) live on average five years longer.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in Czech women. Over 7,000 new cases are detected in our country every year. Prevention, innovative procedures and medicinal products have helped to prolong the lives and to improve the comfort of patients.
A malignant tumor in the breast tissue is the most frequently diagnosed cancer after skin cancer. Not only women, but rarely also men, can develop breast cancer. Thanks to regular breast cancer screenings, the tumor in many women is diagnosed at an early stage, when the chance of recovery is almost 100%. Mortality has significantly decreased even at later stages of breast cancer thanks to highly innovative medicines; patients spend less time in hospitals and can live a full life.
New drugs targeting specific parts (receptors) of cancer cells are more effective and less toxic. „Patients tolerate new therapies and targeted biological treatment better because they do not have the overall symptoms of previously used chemotherapy. The survival rate has also increased in the long term; the life expectancy of patients over 65 approaches that of the general population,” says Mgr. Jakub Dvořáček, MHA, executive director of the Association of Innovative Pharmaceutical Industry (AIFP).
Prevention, innovative procedures and innovative medicinal products have helped to prolong patients' lives by a total of 16,103 years compared to 2002-2006 and 2012–2016. The five-year survival rate has gradually increased since 1990 in all stages of breast cancer, including stage 4 (metastatic).
Breast cancer is now diagnosed at earlier stages. In 2006, approximately one third of breast cancer cases were diagnosed at the first clinical stage. In 2016, almost half of breast cancer cases were diagnosed at the first clinical stage. This means that more patients have a good chance of being cured.
Patients also spend less time in the hospital. An increasing number of hospitalizations is less than one week. The percentage of hospitalizations of less than or equal to one week increased from 56.8% in 2007–2010 to 79.9% in 2015-2018. Approximately every 10th patient is hospitalized.
There are also disability pension savings. „Since 2010 alone, disability pension savings associated with breast cancer amounted to 1.52 billion Czech Crowns. Thanks to early diagnosis, women do not have to undergo difficult and expensive treatment and can lead a full life,” says Jakub Dvořáček.
The impact on breast cancer patients is definitely significant. Innovative treatment is more efficient, effective and more tailor-made. It is an important (including psychological) step in successful treatment for patients. Biological treatment usually brings an expected improvement in terms of "complete cure" and significant life prolongation. Still, prevention plays an important role, both primary prevention (a healthy lifestyle) and secondary prevention (tumor diagnosed at an early stage).
Targeted treatment is not so hard on the body, helps patients to cope with the treatment better and improves the quality of life for patients in remission, which is extremely important for patients who are often young. Certain problems, a feeling of insecurity and psychological stress are caused by the approval process for medicinal products that are not yet reimbursed because access to them is difficult. Thanks to innovative treatment, patients can either significantly eliminate the risk of breast cancer recurrence or receive long-term treatment of recurrent or metastatic breast cancer.
They usually cope with the treatment well, there are usually no significant side effects and the overall condition of patients is better not only from a physical point of view but also from a psychological point of view, which in many cases is as important as the treatment itself. Innovative treatment gives people a chance to lead a better quality and full life, to be independent, to engage in everyday life, and to enjoy family and friends.
Mgr. Šárka Slavíková – chair of Amelie, z.s.
psychosocial assistance provided to cancer patients and their family
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