Breast cancer treatment advancements emerge from Baylor College of Medicine

HOUSTON - Baylor College of Medicine in Houston is at the forefront of groundbreaking advancements in breast cancer treatment. The institution is pioneering a "right-sizing surgery" approach for women diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), allowing some to opt for active monitoring instead of surgery.

Additionally, a new high-tech device using optical coherence tomography (OCT) is being utilized to ensure complete tumor removal in a single surgery, potentially reducing the need for additional procedures. These innovations look promising to transform patient care and outcomes in the fight against breast cancer.

What is "right-sizing surgery" for early-stage breast cancer?

What we know:

The "right-sizing surgery" approach targets women with early-stage DCIS, allowing them to choose active monitoring over surgery.

"Not everywhere in the world is quite as far forward in their thinking as that, but there is now strong, good, published, internationally recognized evidence, and that's a good way to go for some women," Dr. Thompson mentions.

The OCT device, similar to technology used in eye exams, helps ensure all cancerous tissue is removed during the initial surgery, reducing the need for follow-up procedures.

What they're saying:

"Women should be empowered to make their choices well-informed with the medical knowledge that they need," says Dr. Alastair Thompson, Professor of Surgery at Baylor College of Medicine.

"We're now getting to the point where individual women can choose based on the evidence of what's going on in their breast as to whether she is going to have a surgery, or whether she actually doesn't need an operation and can have active monitoring," Dr. Thompson states.

Benefits of "right-sizing surgery" for breast cancer

Big picture view:

These advancements represent a shift towards more personalized and less invasive breast cancer treatments.

"Within about ten minutes, we can scan the whole lumpectomy, and then have a look at the little thumbnail sketches, the little pictures that guide us if we need to take more, or whether we can just leave well alone, we've got everything we need," Dr. Thompson explains.

By reducing the need for surgery and ensuring complete tumor removal in one procedure, patients can experience less physical and emotional stress and a lower likelihood of cancer recurrence.

By the numbers:

According to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation:

• There are more than 4 million breast cancer survivors in the United States, including women still being treated and those who have completed treatment.
• In 2025, an estimated 316,950 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in the U.S., making it the most common cancer in American women. Every two minutes, a woman in the U.S. is diagnosed with the disease.
• In 2025, an estimated 2,800 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer in the U.S.
• The current need for additional surgery due to leftover cancer cells occurs in about 25% of cases, but that could now change to 1 in cases or even less because of the new OCT advancement.