In the last 12 months or so, several large clinical trials have had
spectacular results with several improvements in treatment.  Clinical
trials are monitored by an independent safety board, which can stop them
under two circumstances. The more common, unfortunately, is that the
experimental treatment is dangerous.  The "hole in one", however, is
when the board determines that the experimental treatment is so superior
to standard treatment that it would be unethical not to give it to the
patients assigned to standard treatment [1].

There were two such trials stopped because the aromatase inhibitors with
which they were experimenting were much superior to tamoxifen, which was
considered a major breakthrough not all that long ago. The studies now
are to determine the guidelines of which of the two approved new drugs
are better for specific patients, and also if they should be combined
with tamoxifen.

Other trials have shown that a different mixture of low-dose
chemotherapy drugs right after surgery is MUCH better in being sure the
disease is gone.

Physicians involved are hesitant to use the "cure" word, but more and
more are telling patients that they will probably die of something other
than breast cancer.

[1] In the past, the control arm of a trial received placebo.  That is
   now considered unethical, if there is a known treatment for the
   disease.  The control patients get the best current treatment
   while the others get the experimental treatment.  During the trial,
   the patients and the clinicians do not know which drug the patients
   receive, but the safety board has that information.

I heard about this girl. I don't know her and was wondering what her name
is. SHe sounds very confident that they have caught it early. She looks
extremely young to have breast cancer (not unheard of but unusual).

Lots of purrs and best wishes for her to recover completely,