Scientists are making surprising findings that could extend the lives of patients suffering from various types of cancer

When most people are faced with a cancer diagnosis, they could be forgiven for wanting doctors to do everything they can, no matter how tough the treatment.

But a growing body of research shows that this approach can not only make you sicker, it can even shorten your life.

Three intriguing papers presented last month at the world’s most influential cancer conference suggested that lThis aggressive chemotherapy, radiation and surgery has helped people with cancer feel healthier for longer.

For people with certain forms of the disease, gentler treatments also led to longer lives.

Cancer treatments, such as chemo drugs that destroy the immune system and radiation that can damage surrounding tissue, can lead to serious complications.

In addition, highly invasive surgeries to remove body parts can lead to infections and blood loss.

Experts suggest that minimizing treatment can reduce the risk of potentially fatal side effects and complications. It also means that patients feel well enough to adopt healthy lifestyle habits, such as regular exercise, which is also important for cancer survival.

The three studies by experts from France, Germany and the US specifically referred to esophageal and ovarian cancer, as well as blood cancer lymphoma, the This is reported by the Associated Press.

The first study, which examined 438 esophageal cancer patients, found that those treated with surgery, radiation and chemotherapy fared worse than those who had only surgery and chemotherapy.

The graph, from a Stanford University study, shows the increase in the number of women undergoing a lumpectomy instead of a mastectomy over the past forty years.

After three years, 57 percent of patients given the gentler treatment were still alive, compared with 51 percent of those given the aggressive regimen, the German Research Foundation found.

The second analysis, involving 379 patients with ovarian cancer, found that maintaining healthy lymph nodes led to fewer complications compared to those who had their nodes removed to ensure all remaining cancer cells had been destroyed.

The third paper compared two chemotherapy regimens for 1,482 patients with Hodgkin’s lymphoma with blood cancer, and was conducted by Takeda Oncology in nine European countries.

It showed that 94 percent of people with the less aggressive treatment went into remission after four years, compared to 91 percent of people with the more severe treatment.

This is a modern approach to treatment that is being used by an increasing number of doctors around the world.

For example, breast cancer is now often initially treated by removing the cancerous tumor and surrounding tissue – rather than the entire breast.

The graphs show that lung cancer patients who receive chemotherapy before surgery may not be more likely to survive long-term, compared with those who receive the powerful drugs.

a series of studies Research over the past decade has shown that patients who had part of the breast removed lived as long as patients who had a mastectomy.

In addition, those who underwent a mastectomy were more likely to develop infections, develop chronic pain, and lose a dangerous amount of blood than people whose tumors had just been excised. Dr. Christine Pestana said a breast surgical oncologist in 2022.

Research in patients with colorectal cancer has shown that three months of chemotherapy led to the same prognosis as those who underwent six months of chemotherapy.

And data from this year, submitted to the journal Annals of Thoracic Surgery, showed that patients with the most common form of lung cancer live longer on average if they don’t undergo chemotherapy before surgery to remove tumors — compared with those who do.

‘In this case, less is clearly more’ Dr. David Ilsonwrote a gastrointestinal oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York in 2018.

Experts say most studies show minimal difference in longevity between approaches, but large increases in quality of life with less aggressive treatment.

Switching to a ‘less is more’ approach could be a ‘game-changer’ for all cancers, researchers say Dr. James Gulley, the co-director of the National Cancer Institute’s Center for Cancer Research.

However, he added that more research is needed to identify the best candidates for this approach and how best to monitor patients after they stop treatment.