Breakthroughs in Screening & Treatment Cut Breast Cancer Deaths in Half

Source: Dennis Thompson, HealthDay News Breakthroughs in breast cancer screening and treatment have slashed the percentage of women dying from the disease, a new analysis reveals. “Advances in screening and treatment are saving lives,” said lead researcher Sylvia Plevritis, a professor of radiology and biomedical data science at the Stanford University School of Medicine. “Here’s an example that all this investment in research and discovery has had a real benefit. This has translated into making a difference.” Screening and treatment reduced breast cancer deaths by 49 percent in 2012, compared with a 37 percent reduction in 2000, according to the study. Treatments that target specific types of breast cancer have generated the most scientific advancement and, as such, have taken a larger role in saving lives, the researchers found. Better cancer treatments accounted for 63 percent of the reduction in breast