New treatments for breast cancer being used in Central Florida

ORLANDO, Fla. — About 280,000 women are expected to be diagnosed with breast cancer this year.

Dr. Danielle Henry with Orlando Health shared some exciting developments in treatment that are being used in Central Florida.

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“There are a lot of new drugs that have come out to treat some of the types of breast cancer that we didn’t have anything to treat them with in the past,” Henry said.

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From a surgery standpoint, there are a several new treatments Henry has utilized at Orlando Health.

“We’re trying to minimize the number of lymph nodes that we take out at the time of surgery that reduces lymphedema. We’re also working on using things in the operating room, like injections, that will help us decrease the amount of times a patient would need to go back to have more tissue taken if they choose to have breast conservation and keep their breasts after a breast cancer diagnosis,” she said.

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One in eight women will be diagnosed with the disease, and while more young women are being diagnosed, like Florida’s first lady Casey DeSantis, older women are still most at risk.

“The truth of the matter is that only about 9 percent of women are diagnosed with breast cancer before the age of 45,” Henry said. “A majority of breast cancer is diagnosed in the later stages of life, so in the 60s and above, so the older you get the higher your chance of breast cancer actually gets.”

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