INTERFERON DECREASES THE PROGRESSION RISK OF BREAST CANCER IN REPEATEDLY OPERATED PATIENTS

Zhil’chuk V.E.

In patients with breast cancer (BC) who underwent repeated operation due to refined diagnosis, the risk of progression within the first six months increases more than twice and depends considerably on the status of metastatic involvement of regional lymph nodes. BC relapses and metastases appear in the presence of a burst (in the immediate post-surgery period) and maintenance of an increased serum level of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Interferon (IF) included in the combined treatment regimes prevents the increase in the serum VEGF levels regardless of the modality of surgery (single- step or delayed radical operation) and increases by 33.4% to 50.0% the number of patients who achieved six-month remission despite two-step, delayed radical mastectomy. It is suggested that IF should be included in combined therapy regimes for BC patients as a highly antiangiogenic agent that decreases the risk of progression in BC patients after traditional and especially delayed, two-step operation.