COMPREHENSIVE AND COMBINED TREATMENT OF MALIGNANT TUMORS: A PROVEN METHOD

For some time, Olga Nikolaevna ignored the alarming symptoms in the area of her left breast, hoping that the discomfort would go away on its own. With each passing day, the pain intensified, and soon swelling appeared in the right breast. That’s when she decided to visit a mammologist.

During an ultrasound, doctors detected concerning changes: thickening of the skin in the left breast and the axillary region, as well as a tumor measuring 10 cm. To clarify the diagnosis, she was advised to go to the regional oncology dispensary. The examinations performed there confirmed the presence of metastases in the nearby lymph nodes, as well as lesions in the right lung and liver.

Given the extent of the oncological process, this was diagnosed as stage 4 breast cancer. In search of hope, Olga Nikolaevna turned to the P. Hertsen Moscow Research Oncological Institute — a branch of the National Medical Research Radiological Centre of the Ministry of Health of Russian Federation, which has accumulated vast experience in treating such complex and advanced oncological cases.

After detailed examinations, which made it possible to determine the molecular and biological subtype of the tumor and the extent of its spread, a multidisciplinary oncology board proposed a combined treatment approach. The first step was neoadjuvant chemotherapy — preoperative treatment that significantly reduced the size of the tumor and the number of metastatic lesions.

“We will carry out several more courses, as recommended by our chemotherapists”, – says Yulia Brazhnikova, a specialist at the Surgical Department of Combined Treatment Methods with Chemotherapy at the P.  Hertsen Moscow Oncology Research Institute. “At each stage of treatment, we monitor our patient’s condition. Once the chemotherapy is completed and we see the final effect of the drugs on the tumor process, our surgeons will be able to proceed to the next stage of treatment”.

The concept of combined treatment for oncological diseases was first proposed by Pyotr Alexandrovich Hertsen, the founder of the Moscow school of oncology. Since then, specialists at the National Medical Research Radiological Centre of have been actively implementing this approach to help a wide range of patients.