Skipping chemo or lowering doses has ominous implications

Are cancer patients getting enough chemo?

It’s a worrisome finding: About a third of patients with potentially curable breast cancer aren’t getting full-strength doses of chemotherapy because of side effects or other problems.

Now researchers are preparing to find out whether this inadvertent chemo-lite is common with other cancers too — and how much the dose can dip before patients’ chances of survival are harmed.

“This is not just a breast cancer problem � predicts Dr. Gary Lyman of the University of Rochester Medical Center who is leading some of the research.

“We’re very concerned about it � adds Dr. Larry Norton deputy physician-in-chief for breast cancer at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

Under-dosing a problem
Norton’s own research shows that undergoing breast cancer chemotherapy every two weeks instead of every three can improve survival by 30 percent. That means skipping chemo sessions or lowering doses has ominous implications.

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