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Roper St. Francis breast cancer patients celebrate landmark TAILORx study on chemo use


Roper St. Francis breast cancer patients part of landmark TAILORx study on chemo use (WCIV)
Roper St. Francis breast cancer patients part of landmark TAILORx study on chemo use (WCIV)
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Roper St. Francis Hospital celebrated Tuesday with several Lowcountry women who participated in a groundbreaking breast cancer treatment study focused on the necessity of chemotherapy.

The five women were part of the TAILORx research project, which sought to prove many early-stage breast cancer patients at lower risk of recurrence could safely skip chemo treatments in favor of hormone treatments alone.

Roper invited three of the women back to celebrate after results of the 10-year TAILORx study released in early June, which showed no benefit from chemotherapy for 70 percent of women with the most common type of breast cancer.

"One of the most difficult treatment decisions for breast cancer patients is whether to undergo chemotherapy," said Roper spokesman Andy Lyons. "The choice is now getting easier for some patients as a result of this study."

Sara Sechrist, one of the study participants, says she's happy she was able to be part of the study.

"I felt very fortunate that I did meet the criteria, because it saved me from having chemo," Sechrist said. "It’s going to be a tremendous help for women in the future. I’m glad it was a success."

Sechrist has been cancer free for 10 years, and did not undergo chemotherapy, she says. She encourages other women to get yearly mammograms, which she says is how doctors discovered her cancer.

"It will save your life," Sechrist says.

Camille Hilton, another Roper patient who was part of the study, was diagnosed with breast cancer 9 years ago, and asked to take part in the study.

"I was delighted to participate knowing that what came out of this study was going to be very important for other women," Hilton says. "I was so excited that one thing I did might help other women. I just thought, ‘Wow!’"

Hilton went through four rounds of chemotherapy and 5 years of hormone treatments afterward. She says she's delighted the TAILORx study has shown women don't necessarily need to have chemotherapy as she did.

"It took so many women out of that high risk factor in finding out that oral drugs will work just as well," Hilton says. "Chemo, it is poison that they’re putting in your body. You lose your hair, you feel terrible, you feel like you have the flu."

CLICK HERE to read more about the TAILORx study.

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