Study Discourages Chemotherapy for Some Breast Cancer Patients
VOA News
JUNE 10, 2018 4:21 PM ASSOCIATED PRESS (source)
Study Discourages Chemotherapy for Some Breast Cancer Patients
研究顯示：部分乳癌病人無需化療
June 10, 2018 4:21 PM
Associated Press
HONOLULU — The University of Hawaii Cancer Center is the leader in a groundbreaking national study that found that early-stage breast cancer patients with the most common form of the disease do not benefit from chemotherapy.
The center helped develop the largest breast cancer study, enrolling 172 Hawaii patients onto the TailorX clinical trial, which found that hormone therapy alone produced results as good as both chemotherapy and hormone treatment for 70 percent of women post-surgery, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported.
"We're able now to spare a large group of women side effects of chemotherapy," said Dr. Randall Holcombe, director of the University of Hawaii Cancer Center. "We now know with this study that women in this intermediate group will have the same chance of a cure by treating with a hormone pill alone. There are some side effects to hormone pills but a lot less than chemotherapy."
It could significantly change the standard of care, he added.
The five-year survival rate was 98 percent for women who received hormone pills alone and 98.1 percent for those who received both therapies. At nine years, the rates were 93.9 percent and 93.8 percent, respectively.
The findings were based on 10,273 women who participated in the study from 2006 to 2010.
ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group based in Philadelphia conducted the clinical trial, supported by the National Cancer Institute, a number of foundations and sales of the breast cancer research postage stamp, which provided more than million.
由美國夏威夷大學癌症中心（The University of Hawaii Cancer Center）主導的一項具有突破性的(groundbreaking)全國研究發現，患有一般最常見類型乳癌的早期(early-stage)病患並不會從化學療法(chemotherapy)中受益。
這項大規模的乳癌研究是由該中心協助執行，一共納入(enroll)172 名夏威夷的患者於 TailorX 臨床試驗(clinical trial)。根據《檀香山星廣報》（Honolulu Star-Advertiser）的報導，該研究結果發現，對於術後 70% 的女性病人來說，僅單獨使用荷爾蒙療法(hormone therapy)的效果，與同時進行化療及荷爾蒙治療的效果一樣好。
〔編按：此研究計畫的名稱 "TailorX" 是個「首字母縮略詞（acronym）」，取其計畫全名 "Trial Assigning IndividuaLized Options for Treatment" 的開頭字母組合而成。"tailor" 一字當名詞時意指「裁縫師」，作動詞時則為「量身訂做」之意，語意契合本計畫主要研究「治療方案個人化」之目的。此計畫縮略詞的名稱好讀易記，意義又貼近原名意旨，是音義兼顧的例子。〕
夏威夷大學癌症中心主任藍道爾‧霍爾科姆博士（Randall Holcombe）表示：「現在多數的女性將能免去(spare)承受化療副作用(side effect)的痛苦。」他進一步說明：「我們透過這項研究得知，對罹患乳癌的中度風險族群而言，僅單獨使用荷爾蒙藥片亦能獲得相同的治癒機會。雖然使用荷爾蒙藥片也有些副作用，但遠少於化療的副作用。」
〔編按：新聞中 "intermediate group" 應是指 "intermediate-risk group"（中度風險族群）。此研究發現，就荷爾蒙受體陽性（hormone receptor-positive，HR-positive）、第二型人類表皮生長因子受體陰性（human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative，HER2-negative），以及腋下淋巴結陰性（axillary lymph nodenegative）的乳癌治療而言，患者在術後同時接受化療與荷爾蒙治療的效果與僅接受荷爾蒙治療的效果幾乎是一樣的。〕
他補充說，這可望大大地改變乳癌照護的準則。
僅接受荷爾蒙藥片治療的女性，其 5 年存活率(survival rate)為 98%，而同時接受荷爾蒙治療及化療兩種療法的患者存活率為 98.1%。到了第 9 年，其比率則個別(respectively)為 93.9% 和 93.8%。
此研究結果是根據（追蹤）2006 年至 2010 年間參與此研究的 1 萬 273 名女性（的健康情形）而得來。
此項臨床研究由位在美國費城（Philadelphia）的 ECOG-ACRIN 癌症研究集團（ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group）負責執行，受美國國家癌症研究中心（National Cancer Institute）與數個基金會(foundation)，以及乳癌研究（募款）郵票(postage stamp)的銷售所資助，其中乳癌研究郵票貢獻了逾 5 00 萬美元的經費。
〔編按：乳癌研究郵票（breast cancer research stamp，BCRS）是美國郵政署（United States Postal Service，USPS）所發行的「附捐郵票（semi-postal stamp）」，其面額比美國普通郵件的郵票多了 11 美分（cent），此多出來的金額即為捐款額。透過發行乳癌研究郵票所累積的捐款額由美國郵政署集合後再分配給美國國立衛生研究院（National Institutes of Health，NIH）和美國國防部（Department of Defense，DoD）作為乳癌研究的基金。〕
Language Notes
groundbreaking [`graʊnd͵brekɪŋ] (a) 開創性的，創新的，突破性的
* break fresh / new ground (v phr) 創新，開闢新天地；作出新發現
chemotherapy [͵kimo`θɛrəpɪ] (n) 化療
* 本字由字首 "chemo-"「化學、化學的」和名詞 "therapy"「治療；療法」兩部分組合而成
enroll [ɪn`rol] (v) 登記；把 . . . . . . 編入
* 本字亦常為「註冊入學」之意，注意重音在第 2 音節
clinical [`klɪnɪkl̩] (a) 臨床的；診所的
* clinical trial (n phr) 臨床試驗
hormone [`hɔrmon] (n) 荷爾蒙
survival rate (n phr) 存活率
* survival [sɚ`vaɪvl̩] (n) 繼續生存，存活，倖存
respectively [rɪ`spɛktɪvlɪ] (adv) 分別地，各自地
* respective [rɪ`spɛktɪv] (a) 各自的；各個的；分別的
foundation [faʊn`deʃən] (n) 基金會
* 本字其他常見語意有「建立，創辦」、「地基」、「基礎，基本原則」及化妝使用的「底妝（粉、霜）」
* found [faʊnd] (v) 建立；建造；創立，創辦
Check your vocabulary!
Fill in the blanks with a word or phrase from the list above. Make necessary changes. After you finish, highlight the blanks to reveal the hidden answers.
1. Scientists have warned that the use of growth hormones to make cattle grow more quickly may result in a health risk for consumers.
2. The survival rate for people who have this form of cancer is now more than 90 percent.
3. The salesclerks and the teachers got pay rises of 6% and 9% respectively.
4. They're doing clinical trials on a new drug.
5. His latest movie is interesting, but not groundbreaking.
編譯：簡嘉呈
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