season of diagnosis and treatment start of brst cancer influences result!!

[Lani]

At least in Norway at least in those less than 50 yrs old --connection to vitamin D? Melatonin?

Were you <50 or > 50 yrs old when diagnosed?
Do you live in a northern latitude?
What season were you diagnosed in?


Changes in risk of death from breast cancer with season and latitude : Sun exposure and breast cancer survival in Norway.

Porojnicu AC,
Lagunova Z,
Robsahm TE,
Berg JP,
Dahlback A,
Moan J.
Department of Radiation Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, Montebello, 0310, Oslo, Norway, a.c.porojnicu@usit.uio.no.
The Norwegian counties can conveniently be divided in three groups with different annual UV exposures and different incidence rates of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the skin. In view of the hypothesis that latitude and season of diagnosis may play a role for breast cancer progression, the prognosis of breast cancer as determined for summer and winter diagnosis, were evaluated in the three residential regions. Two age groups were analysed separately (stratification at 50 years). For all regions, and for all ages, the prognosis was best for women diagnosed in the summer season (Relative risk (RR) of death was 15-25% lower for summer diagnosis versus winter diagnosis). There was no significant seasonal variation of the number of new cases. For women diagnosed before the age of 50, a geographical gradient in cancer prognosis was also found (RR of death 0.6, 95% CI: 0.5-0.7 for cases diagnosed in southeast Norway and RR of death 0.8, 95% CI: 0.6-1.1 for diagnosis in the north of Norway). This is in agreement with a 1.5 times larger annual UV exposures and 3-4 times larger incidence rates of SCC in the southeast region when compared with the north region. For women diagnosed after the age of 50, no significant difference was found between the three regions. Despite a 17% higher vitamin D intake from food in north of Norway no difference in cancer survival was found for diagnosis during winter (when no significant differences in the levels of UV exposure can be detected between regions).The overall data support our earlier hypothesis that season of diagnosis and therapy start improves the survival for breast cancer.
PMID: 17028983 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

[Hopeful]

Lani, this is one of those correlations that makes me stop and say, "Hmm."

FWIW, my diagnosis was in June '06 at the age of 52. I live in the northeastern USA. Based on this article, I have reason to be . . .

Hopeful

[Lani]

prostate cancer diagnosis season and incidence has been shown to be along latititude and sunshine levels

and due to excellent results in mice(>75% growth reduction), a trial of ultra high vitamin D (form available only by prescription) plus regular dose naprosyn is being tried for moderately aggressive recurrent prostate cancer at Stanford

Glad you are hopeful--that is one of the big reasons from my posts!(some think they are just esoteric)

More food for thought!

[tousled1]

Interesting article but. I am sure there are many women whose diagnosis (winter/summer) does not correspond to the actual season in which they found their lump. I think some women find a lump and out of fear wait to have it checked therefore putting their actual diagnosis in a different season. All in all it is an interesting concept.

[Lani]

I believe that is why they listed not just the season of diagnosis but also the season of initiation of treatment (besides the fact that Denmark is shamefully slow in getting newly diagnosed patients in for treatment!)

Studies have shown that the number of months before peaks of recurrence (around 24 for her2+bc, later and with two peaks for her2- bc) start being counted only from the date of surgery, not the date the tumor was discovered. In those who procrastinated treatment, or where other factors intervened, the "clock" started ticking only after the time of surgery. That, plus the fact that the genetic signature of breast cancer is similar to the genetic signature of inflammation and wound healing have made scientists propose that the surgery starts the clock ticking by initiating an inflammatory reaction.

Perhaps a dose of antiinflammatory medication without anticlotting potential and an antiangiogenic drug given just before surgery and anaesthetic block at the time of surgery could decrease this inflammatory response.

Just thoughts!

[Hopeful]

Lani,

I have read about experimental treatments using laser therapy to destroy the breast tumors without excision. Do you have an opinion on whether this type of treatment would activate the inflammatory response?

Hopeful

[Lani]

I'll be sure to post it. I did post one about cryotherapy( I believe) and lymph nodes--too tired and lousy with the search function to find right now...this is
really a new area.

The downside as I would see it to using modality (heat, cold, laser) etc treatment without a previous biopsy (inflammation producing although fine needle<core<excisional< mastecotmy) would be lack of information to guide treatment eg. her2status, ER status, Ki67, etc.

Will update as info found...