A discontinuation of treatment which increases the risk of recurrence in cases of breast cancer ... especially in women affected before menopause, in 80% of cases. According to a study published in The Journal of clinical Oncology , out of 1,200 women aged 45 on average, many do not follow their hormone therapy treatment, prescribed for 5 to 10 years and recognized as effective. His goal ? prevent the action of hormones that could support the development of a tumor.
>> READ ALSO - Cancer treatment: "We are progressing more and more towards precision medicine"
Too heavy side effects
In the first year, one in six women stops treatment for recurrence, one of the best-selling of which is Tamoxifen. After 5 years, half of them give up. And if they take this risk, which doubles the risk of relapse - increasing it from 5 to 11%, it is to avoid very heavy side effects.
>> Watch Matthieu Belliard's morning show in replay and in podcast here
"I was very tired, to be in pain 24 hours a day since it was night and day, I told myself that if I had 2, 3 years without being in pain I would rather live 10 years, suffering" , says Marina, 52, who stopped Tamoxifen after 8 months. If most women can bear taking this treatment, hormone therapy causes side effects that are difficult to live with: hot flash, fatigue, weight gain ...
A gentle resumption of sport
Marina is followed at the Gustave Roussy Institute in Paris which conducts research to help women better support this drug. One of the recommended solutions is the resumption of physical activity. Little by little, the 50-year-old resumes sport, and at the same time Tamoxifen.
>> READ ALSO - Breast cancer: a new type of treatment increases the survival rate
"I walk a lot because we are lucky to have a dog, I play table tennis, I go to the swimming pool and I ride an exercise bike. If I spend a day without moving I don't feel good at all, "says Marina. Researchers are also looking into a better dosage of the drug to relieve patients.