News You Can Use Archive
To help you stay on top of the latest breast cancer-related research and findings, Breast Cancer Network of Strength brings you "News You Can Use," a monthly summary of some of the latest on breast cancer research and studies, brought to you by Breast Cancer Network of Strength. We welcome your feedback; please send e-mail to bparker@networkofstrength.org.
October 2008
Post-mastectomy nodal radiation unnecessary for node-negative breast cancer
Irradiation of axillary and supraclavicular lymph nodes is unnecessary in women whose axillary nodal status following mastectomy is negative, according to research presented at the annual meeting of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology.
Shorter radiation course works in breast cancer
Three weeks of radiation treatment work just as well as the usual course of five weeks or more for women with early-stage breast cancers, Canadian researchers have reported, after monitoring a large group of patients for 12 years.
Breast cancer survivors have high quality of life up to 15 years after lumpectomy and radiation
Women with breast cancer who are treated with lumpectomy and radiation report a high level of overall quality of life several years after treatment that is comparable to a general sampling of the adult women U.S. population according to a survey at Fox Chase Cancer Center.
New options for breast reconstruction
About 78,000 U.S. women undergo a mastectomy each year, but just 57,100 had breast reconstruction in 2007. For a minority of women, reconstruction of the breast after a cancer diagnosis is simply not important, but other women are not fully informed of their options, face financial barriers, or both.
Breastfeeding “cuts cancer risk”
Breastfeeding for a year over the course of a woman’s life helps cut the risk of breast cancer. The World Cancer Research Fund analyzed 7,000 previous studies and found that breastfeeding reduced the risk of developing breast cancer by 4.8%.
Myths about breast cancer
False rumors about breast cancer are becoming more frequent with the increased use of email and the Internet. The purpose of this section is to dispel those rumors about what causes breast cancer, how the disease develops, and how different treatment options affect patients.
Young women with DCIS no more likely to experience recurrence than older women
Young women with DCIS, a common form of early breast cancer that arises in and is confined to the mammary ducts, are presumed more likely to have recurrences than older women with the same diagnosis. But a new study from Fox Chase Cancer Center rebuffs this conventional thinking.
September
Recurrence risk suggests extended treatment for some early stage breast cancer
For early breast cancer patients, hormone-positive status may forecast the need for extended treatment to prevent late recurrence, according to researchers. In the retrospective registry study, risk of recurrence was significantly greater for those with hormone-positive tumors. Extended adjuvant endocrine therapy is recommended.
Breast asymmetry after cancer treatment affects quality of life
Most women with breast cancer assume that surgery to preserve their breast will be less disfiguring than a mastectomy that removes the entire breast. But nearly one-third of women reported pronounced asymmetry between their breasts, and that perceived disfigurement greatly affects a woman’s quality of life after treatment, according to a new study.
Women over 80 may benefit from mammograms
Mammography significantly reduced the risk of advanced stage breast cancer in women 80 years old or older, according to a study that suggests the first screening guidelines for this age group.
Breastfeeding, other factors may affect risk of breast cancer type
Factors such as age at menopause as well as a woman's breastfeeding practices can influence her risk of developing certain types of breast cancer. That was the conclusion of a new study, the results of which suggest that there are distinct and separate hormonal risk factors associated with different subtypes of breast cancer.
Infertility treatment: Is there a relationship with breast cancer risk?
Accompanying a societal shift to delayed childbearing, there has been an increase in couples seeking infertility treatment. A number of drugs have been used in these treatments and some studies have examined them for an association with breast cancer risk. The results are conflicting, and more study is needed before breast cancer risk can be determined. The long-term effects of infertility treatments on breast cancer risk are unknown. Most have evaluated treatment of less than 10 years and groups of women at ages where breast cancer is less common.
New reasons to avoid grapefruit and other juices when taking certain drugs
Scientists and consumers have known for years that grapefruit juice can increase the absorption of certain drugs—with the potential for turning normal doses into toxic overdoses. New evidence shows that grapefruit and other fruit juices, including orange and apple, can do the opposite effect by substantially decreasing the absorption of other drugs, potentially wiping out their beneficial effects. The study provides a new reason to avoid drinking grapefruit juice and these other juices when taking certain drugs, including some that are prescribed for fighting life-threatening conditions such as heart disease, cancer, organ-transplant rejection, and infection.
August 2008
Breast Self-Exams
Many news stories concerning breast self exams have appeared recently. Included here are the breast self-awareness information paper of Breast Cancer Network of Strength and commentary on breast self-exams by Dr. Susan Love.
Anti-estrogen drug therapy reduces risk of invasive breast cancer in older women
Women who took the drug raloxifene (Evista) were less likely to develop invasive estrogen-receptor positive breast cancer compared with women who did not take the drug. The results of the randomized controlled trial were published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Overweight, insulin resistant women at greater risk of advanced breast cancer diagnosis
Women who have risk factors commonly associated with Type 2 diabetes also have much greater odds of being diagnosed with an advanced breast cancer, according to research.
Young women’s breast cancers have more aggressive genes, worse prognosis
Young women’s breast cancers tend to be more aggressive and less responsive to treatment than the cancers that arise in older women. Researchers at Duke University may have discovered part of the reason why.
Minorities less likely to know about breast cancer treatment options
According to a University of Michigan study, nearly half of the women treated for breast cancer did not know that their odds of being alive after five years are roughly the same whether they undergo mastectomy or breast conserving surgery. Minority women were even less likely to be aware of this important factor of their treatment decision.
Biologics work synergistically against metastatic breast cancer if trastuzumab regimens fail
Combining targeted biologic therapies after progression of metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer may improve response despite prior treatment with multiple trastuzumab (Herceptin) regimens.
July 2008
Surviving triple negative breast cancer
Of the more than 180,000 U.S. women who learn they have invasive breast cancer this year, about 15% will have triple negative. The majority of triple negative patients will be young African-American women. Experts around the country are trying to learn more about what causes this cancer and how to treat it more effectively.
Bevacizumab benefits women with advanced breast cancer
Researchers looked at adding the targeted therapy Avastin to chemotherapy with Taxotere for women newly diagnosed with locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer. This study shows that the use of these drugs is effective and does not greatly increase side effects.
Researchers predict risk of invasive breast cancer in African-American women
Researchers at the National Cancer Institute have developed an updated model to predict invasive breast cancer risk in African-American women.
Breast reconstruction advances fix distortions left by lumpectomy
A benefit of lumpectomy is that only part of the breast is removed, but a drawback can be the resulting physical appearance of the breast, which may be disfigured, dented, or uneven. A recent report examines advances plastic surgeons have made in breast reconstruction to repair the damage left when cancer is removed.
Bone loss drug reduces early-stage breast cancer recurrence risk
Researchers looked at whether Zometa lowers the risk of breast cancer recurrence for premenopausal women with early-stage breast cancer. After approximately five years, treatment with Zometa combined with hormone therapy reduced a woman’s risk of recurrence by 35% compared with women who received hormone therapy alone.
Alcohol consumption and breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women
One of the largest studies of its kind has found that alcohol is a substantial risk factor for development of the most common type of breast cancer—the 70% of tumors that are classified as positive for both the estrogen and progesterone receptors.
June 2008
Breast cancer, metastatic or recurrent—symptoms
The symptoms of metastatic and recurrent breast cancer depend on how much the cancer has spread. You may have specific physical symptoms, such as a lump in your breast or on your chest wall, bone pain, or shortness of breath. Many women have no symptoms. A recurrence or metastasis is often found before symptoms appear, on a chest X-ray or as part of another test.
Cognitive problems after chemotherapy
Problems with memory and concentration, along with a general feeling of not functioning mentally as well as usual, are informally referred to by patients as chemobrain. Health care professionals call these symptoms cognitive deficits.
Friend Shifts
While some friendships stay solid or grow stronger in the aftermath of a cancer diagnosis, others that seemed to be pure gold can become tarnished. On the other hand, people you may not have been particularly close to may now come shining through.
Link between vitamin D status and breast cancer illuminated
Using newly available data on worldwide cancer incidence, researchers at the University of California, San Diego have shown a clear association between deficiency in exposure to sunlight, specifically ultraviolet B, and breast cancer.
Trans fats linked to breast cancer risk in study
The study reviewed here found that eating a lot of trans fats may increase breast cancer risk. Of the 25,000 European women who participated in the study, women who had the highest levels of trans fats in their blood were about twice as likely as women with the lowest trans fat levels to develop breast cancer.
Weekly Taxol best for follow-up breast cancer care
The study reviewed here found that getting Taxol weekly had more benefits than getting Taxol every 3 weeks for women diagnosed with breast cancer that had spread to the lymph nodes or women diagnosed with breast cancer that hadn't spread to the lymph nodes but was considered high risk. Getting Taxol every week also had more benefits than getting Taxotere weekly or every 3 weeks for these women.
Study links rise in mastectomies to MRI detection
New techniques for detecting breast cancer may be leading more women to have their entire breast removed, say researchers at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota.
May 2008
9 simple steps to unpacking your path report
Based on analysis of the tumor and breast tissue, a pathologist generates a report that is the roadmap to your disease. In producing the report, the pathologist literally puts your cancer under the microscope, evaluating its size and the likelihood that it will spread. Pathology reports may be laid out or presented in different ways, including those described here.
Breast cancer more aggressive among obese women
Women with breast cancer have more aggressive disease and lower survival rates if they are overweight or obese, according to findings published in Clinical Cancer Research.
Cancer care for the whole patient: Meeting psychosocial health needs
A growing body of scientific evidence demonstrates that the psychological and social problems created or exacerbated by cancer can be effectively addressed by a number of services and interventions. To address these issues, the NIH asked the IOM to study the delivery of psychosocial services to cancer patients and their families and identify ways to improve it.
Letrozole (brand name Femara) reduces risk of breast cancer recurrence and metastasis even if started years after tamoxifen
A clinical trial has reported that letrozole (Femara) cuts the risk of breast cancer recurrence and spread by more than 60% in postmenopausal women with early-stage disease who completed five years of tamoxifen therapy one to seven years earlier.
Cancer risk persists after ending hormone therapy
The increased risk of breast cancer associated with combination hormone therapy (estrogen plus progestin) may not go away once the hormones are stopped. More than two years after discontinuing hormones, women who had used the treatment for 5 years still had a higher risk of breast cancer than women who never used the hormones, according to an update from the WHI.
Many women unclear about breast cancer treatments
Only half the women diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer clearly understand the risks and benefits of a mastectomy versus a breast-conserving lumpectomy plus radiation, even after they have one of the procedures, according to a new study.
Aspirin cuts breast cancer risk
A new piece of US research backs the idea that aspirin protects against certain types of breast cancer. It found women who used aspirin or similar painkillers at least once per week for six months reduced their risk of breast cancer by 20%.
April 2008
Many women unclear about breast cancer treatments
Only half the women diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer clearly understand the risks and benefits of a mastectomy versus a breast-conserving lumpectomy plus radiation, even after they have one of the procedures, say researchers whose results appear in the latest online issue of the journal Health Services Research. If the woman is black or Hispanic, the chances are even less likely she has adequate information.
NSAIDs and breast cancer: A possible prevention and treatment strategy
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) inhibit cyclooxygenase (COX) and thereby reduce prostaglandin synthesis. Abnormally upregulated COX and prostaglandins are features of breast cancer, so NSAIDs might have a role in treatment and prevention of the disease.
Hormone therapy interferes with breast cancer detection
Two tools used to detect breast cancer—mammograms and breast biopsies—are less effective in women who use combined hormone therapy (estrogen plus progestin) than in women who do not. The diminished ability to find cancers may persist for at least a year after women have discontinued therapy, according to a follow-up study of participants in the Women's Health Initiative.
Digital mammography superior to film mammography in some cases
For some women, digital mammography may be a better screening option than film mammography, according to newly published results from the Digital Mammographic Imaging Screening Trial. The results appear in the journal Radiology. The study found that digital mammography performed better than film mammography for pre- and perimenopausal women under age 50 with dense breasts.
Letrozole reduces risk of breast cancer recurrence and metastasis even if started years after tamoxifen
A multicenter phase III clinical trial reported that the drug letrozole (Femara) cuts the risk of breast cancer recurrence by 63 percent and the risk of cancer spread by 61 percent in postmenopausal women with early-stage disease who completed five years of tamoxifen therapy one to seven years earlier. The study was published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Breast cancer leads to lost wages
Women being treated for early breast cancer lose about a fourth of their yearly income, according to a new survey published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
March 2008
FDA extends Avastin’s use to breast cancer
The FDA approved Genentech’s best-selling drug, Avastin, as a treatment for breast cancer. The big question was whether it was enough for a drug temporarily to stop cancer from worsening—as Avastin had done in a clinical trial—or was it necessary for a drug to enable patients to live longer, which Avastin had failed to do. Oncologists and patient advocates were divided, in part because of the drug’s sometimes severe side effects.
Personality factors and breast cancer risk: A 13-year follow-up
Consistent scientific evidence on the possible relationship between psychologic variables and breast cancer development is lacking, according to a study in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Lights at night are linked to breast cancer
Women who live in neighborhoods with large amounts of nighttime illumination are more likely to get breast cancer than those who live in areas where nocturnal darkness prevails, according to an unusual study that overlaid satellite images of Earth onto cancer registries.
Skipping soy and supplements with breast cancer
Studies have yielded murky results about what to do after a diagnosis of breast cancer with respect to soy consumption. It is probably reasonable to enjoy a night out at a Chinese or Thai restaurant and to cook at home with soy. However, steer clear of soy supplements and natural medicines with high phytoestrogen content.
Extent of cancer risk reduction through ovary removal depends on BRCA mutation type
Researchers found that women with mutations in the BRCA2 gene have nearly twice the reduction in breast cancer risk following the surgical removal of the ovaries and fallopian tubes compared to women with BRCA1 mutations. The study was published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
New model predicts breast cancer risk in African-American women
Researchers have developed a new risk prediction model that more accurately estimates the breast cancer risk of African-American women, according to a study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
SABCS hot topics mentor sessions now available online
Each year at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, the Alamo Breast Cancer Foundation hosts nightly Hot Topics Mentor Sessions, in which some of the nation’s leading breast cancer experts provide an overview of the most compelling SABCS presentations. These sessions are now available free to the public in the form of online Web casts or on a CD-ROM.
February 2008
FDA approves new genetic test for breast cancer patients
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a test that helps in assessing the risk of tumor recurrence and long-term survival for patients with relatively high-risk breast cancer. The TOP2A FISH pharmDx is the first approved device to test for the TOP2A (topoisomerase 2 alpha) gene in cancer patients.
Personality can’t predict breast cancer
The idea that a woman’s personality traits can make her more prone to breast cancer appears nothing more than a myth, according to a Dutch study.
Breast cancer gene mutation more common in Hispanic, young black women, study finds
A genetic mutation already known to be more common in Ashkenazi Jewish breast cancer patients is also prevalent in Hispanic and young African-American women with breast cancer, according to one of the largest, multiracial studies of the mutation to date.
Populations of interest: Triple negative
A tumor is called triple negative if it is not dependent on estrogen or progesterone and does not overproduce the HER2 protein. Testing all women with early stage disease for these receptors has shown that African-American women and BRCA1 carriers are more likely than other women to be triple negative.
Breast cancer survival longer with Taxotere
A new study found that women who got a combination of Taxotere and Cytoxan (TC), had a 31% better chance of survival than women who got a combination of Adriamycin and Cytoxan (AC).
Men unaware of their cancer risk when female relatives test positive for BRCA mutations
Men whose mothers, sisters or daughters test positive for a cancer-causing gene mutation also have an increased risk of developing the disease but are unaware of that risk. That is the conclusion of a study at Fox Chase Cancer Center exploring how families communicate genetic test results.
PET/CT brings new hope to patients with inflammatory breast cancer
Inflammatory breast cancer spreads quickly and can be lethal in months. By using fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography combined with computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT), radiologists and physicists are able to spot the spread of cancer earlier, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).
January 2008
Shorter breast cancer treatment works
A more convenient three-week course of radiation works just as well as the five-week schedule that is typically given to women after breast-conserving surgery for breast cancer, researchers report.
Breast cancer test may aid patients with affected lymph nodes
A genomic test may help some women with early-stage breast cancer gauge the risk of a recurrence and the potential benefit of additional chemotherapy even when the disease has spread to the lymph nodes, researchers are reporting.
Breast cancer awareness calls for cardiovascular awareness
Women who overcome breast cancer have every reason to celebrate. But a heart filled with joy may also be a heart damaged by life-saving cancer therapies, a growing body of research shows.
Expert perspective from ASCO on the link between cancer risk and the increased frequency of CT scans
A review article in the New England Journal of Medicine asserts that the radiation from computed tomography (CT) scans may cause up to 2% of all cancers in the United States.
Weight gain related to postmenopausal breast cancer risk
Women who gain weight throughout adulthood rather than maintaining a stable weight may have an increased risk for breast cancer, according to a report in the Archives of Internal Medicine. This finding was observed among women who did not take hormone therapy after menopause.
New “seed” therapy helps pinpoint breast tumors with more accuracy
A new technique uses a small radioactive pellet (“seed”) implanted into a mass or suspicious lesion in the breast to pinpoint its exact location for surgical removal. During the procedure, a radiologist uses a needle to insert a small radioactive seed, about the size of a grain of rice, into the mass. Once lodged, surgeons use a wand that detects radioactivity to locate the mass and find the best pathway for removal.
December 2007
Attitude doesn’t affect cancer survival
Having a positive attitude may help cancer patients deal with their disease, but it doesn’t directly affect survival, according to one of the largest and most rigorously designed investigations ever to examine the issue.
Cancer care for the whole patient: Meeting psychosocial health needs
The health care community is increasingly aware of the importance of addressing psychological and social problems in the lives of patients in order to provide good quality health care and promote better health. As a result, the Institute of Medicine examined how the health care system copes with cancer patients’ psychological and social problems, and how “psychosocial” care can be improved.
FDA approves new drug for advanced breast cancer
The U.S. FDA approved Ixempra (ixabepilone) to treat advanced breast cancer after other chemotherapy treatments have stopped working. Ixempra was approved to be given either alone or in combination with Xeloda (capecitabine). It belongs to a new class of medicines called epothilones.
Sunlight may cut breast cancer risk for some women
Exposure to sunlight may reduce the risk of advanced breast cancer in women with light skin pigmentation, according to the results of a population-based study appearing in the American Journal of Epidemiology. This association was not seen in women with medium or dark skin and was only apparent for advanced disease, not localized breast cancer.
City living “breast cancer risk”
Women living and working in the city have a higher risk of breast cancer, researchers say. The study found that 972 city women had much denser breasts. Previous research has shown that those with the densest breast tissue were four times more likely to develop cancer. Researchers said air pollution was likely to be the cause of denser breasts.
ASCO breast cancer treatment plan and summary resources
ASCO prepared templates that capture core elements of a breast cancer treatment plan. One plan relates to the newly diagnosed and the other to the survivor.
November 2007
Tumor markers for breast cancer
A tumor marker is a substance found in blood, urine, or the tumor itself. It is produced by the tumor or the body in response to cancer. When used with other medical tests, a tumor marker test can provide helpful information about the cancer and its treatment.
Pregnancy after breast cancer is possible
Despite toxic chemotherapy regimens that can mess with ovarian function, it is possible—and safe—for many women to conceive after breast cancer treatment.
Genetic counseling, testing: Telling kids about inherited cancer risk
When women with children attend a counseling session before undergoing genetic testing for breast cancer, they are far more likely than their partners to be up front with their kids about the tests and the potential for cancers being inherited, according to a study.
HER2 status affects chemotherapy benefit for node-positive breast cancer
The addition of Taxol to adjuvant chemotherapy may hold little benefit for women with the most common type of lymph node positive breast cancer, researchers found. Women with HER2-negative, estrogen receptor positive, lymph node positive breast cancer had no disease-free survival advantage from adding paclitaxel after adjuvant Adriamycin plus Cytoxan.
Weight loss may curb cancer-related arm swelling
Being overweight has been associated with the development of lymphedema after breast cancer surgery. Research has showed that weight loss, achieved by a reduced-calorie diet or even a low-fat diet, tended to decrease the amount of arm swelling in women with chronic lymphedema following breast cancer surgery.
More women are choosing double mastectomy even when breast cancer is confined to a single breast
A new study reports a 150% increase between 1998 and 2003 in American women opting to have both breasts removed when cancer has been found in only one breast. The study’s authors cautioned that this aggressive strategy may be unnecessary.
After surviving breast cancer, women face increased risk of heart disease
Women who overcome breast cancer have every reason to celebrate. But a heart filled with joy may also be a heart damaged by life-saving cancer therapies, a growing body of research shows.
October 2007
Study finds support groups improve quality of life for metastatic breast cancer patients but may not extend survival
A new study shows that participating in support groups doesn’t extend the lives of women with metastatic breast cancer. The results, published in Cancer, differ from oft-cited findings that showed group psychotherapy extended survival time. The research did, however, confirm that support groups improved qualify of life for the participants.
FDA approves new uses for Evista
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Evista (raloxifene) for reducing the risk of invasive breast cancer in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis and in postmenopausal women at high risk for invasive breast cancer.
Hypnosis before breast cancer surgery reduces pain, cost
Women who received a brief hypnosis intervention before breast cancer surgery spent less time in the operating room and reported significantly less pain and discomfort after surgery than women who did not undergo hypnosis, reports a study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Cancer cells in blood can identify risk of recurrence in breast cancer
Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are known to be associated with a bad prognosis in women with metastatic breast cancer. Now, for the first time, a group of scientists have shown that they can also detect CTCs before and after chemotherapy treatment and hence may be able to identify those patients likely to have a recurrence of their cancer after such treatment.
Study finds black women more likely than white women to have more aggressive, less treatable form of breast cancer
A large analysis of racial differences in rates of estrogen receptor (ER)-negative breast cancer finds that black women in the U.S. are more likely than white women to have breast tumors that are ER-negative. ER-negative tumors are associated with less favorable outcomes than those that are ER-positive, in part because anti-estrogen therapies do not affect ER-negative tumors.
Basic biology and cancer: What causes good cells to go bad?
Dr. Michael Caligiuri lectured on eight topics to the AACR Scientist↔Survivor Educational Workshop. His lecture is adapted here and includes What is Cancer?; How Cancer Begins; Cancers are Genetic Mutations; Not All Cancers are the Same; Six Hallmarks of Cancer; A Genetic Disease; Cell Cycle, Oncogenes, and Tumor-Suppressor Genes; and Somatic and Germ-Line Mutations.
September 2007
Dense breasts, hormone levels are two separate, independent risk factors for breast cancer
The density of a woman’s breast tissue and her level of sex hormones are two strong and independent risk factors for breast cancer, according to a team of researchers. The finding dispels the common belief that the risk associated with dense breasts merely reflects the same risk associated with high levels of circulating sex hormones, they say. These independent risk factors seemed to have additive effects, so if a woman had both dense breasts and excess hormones, her risk was increased.
Different pattern of recurrence for triple-negative breast cancer
According to the results of a study published in Clinical Cancer Research, women with triple-negative breast cancer (breast cancer that is estrogen receptor-negative, progesterone receptor-negative, and HER2-negative) have an increased risk of distant recurrence and death during the first few years after diagnosis but not thereafter.
MRI finds breast cancer before it becomes dangerous
A study in the Lancet could lead to a change of paradigm in the early diagnosis of breast cancer. It states that magnetic resonance imaging is substantially more accurate than mammography in diagnosing very early stages of breast cancer.
Racial differences in severity of breast cancer presentation confirmed
African-American women are diagnosed with more advanced breast cancer than Caucasians, according to a new, single hospital study. Published in Cancer, the study analyzed demographic and breast cancer data from a single institution’s registry, and confirmed that African-Americans are more likely to present with later stage and higher grade tumors compared to Caucasians. In addition, tumors from African-Americans contain more poor prognostic molecular characteristics than Caucasians.
Study finds western-style meat diet increases risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal Chinese women
A new study finds that the more “western” the diet—marked by red meat, starches and sweets—the greater the risk for breast cancer among postmenopausal Chinese women. According to the researchers who conducted the analysis, the findings mark the first time a specific association between a western diet and breast cancer has been identified in Asian women.
Breast cancer not regulated to women; some men battle it too
According to the American Cancer Society, one in eight women has a chance of developing invasive breast cancer in her life. But the disease, which is aligned closely with women, can also affect men. This story tells of one retired San Antonio judge who discovered that personally.
August 2007
Triple-negative breast cancer disproportionately affects African American and Hispanic women
A form of breast cancer shown to disproportionately affect young African American women has also recently been found to have an increased incidence in Hispanic women. Called “triple-negative” breast cancer because its cells lack receptors for estrogen, progesterone, and HER2, it cannot be controlled with drugs that target these receptors, limiting effective treatment options.
Yearly mammograms protect breast cancer survivors
Older women who get yearly mammograms after treatment of early-stage breast cancer are less likely to die from breast cancer, according to a study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. The researchers examined five years of follow-up on almost 2,000 patients age 65 and older with stage I and II breast cancer.
New study confirms link between breast cancer and hormone therapy
A sharp drop in breast cancer rates from 2003 to 2004 is linked to an even larger drop in women’s use of hormone therapy that began around 2000, according to a Kaiser Premanente study in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute that confirms the connection between breast cancer, hormone therapy and mammography screening over the past 25 years. This new analysis provides even stronger evidence that recent declines in menopausal hormone therapy use are linked with lower incidence of breast cancer.
FDA approves first molecular-based lab test to detect metastatic breast cancer
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the first molecular-based laboratory test for detecting whether the cancer has spread and is used to help decide appropriate therapy for a woman with metastatic breast cancer. The presence or absence of breast cancer cells in underarm lymph nodes is a powerful predictor of whether the cancer has spread and is used to help decide appropriate therapy for a woman with metastatic breast cancer.
Breast cancer: Statistics on incidence, survival, and screening
Staging is the process physicians use to assess the size and location of a patient’s cancer. This information helps determine the most optimal form of treatment. Breast cancer stages range from Stage 0 (very early form of cancer) to Stage IV (advanced, metastatic breast cancer). The five-year survival rate for breast cancer is calculated based on averages. Each patient’s individual tumor characteristics, state of health, genetic background, etc. will impact her survival.
Coaching for doctor office visits helps patients ask right questions
Asking more questions during a visit to the doctor might help patients get care that is more satisfactory, but many patients are not sure where to start. A new review of 33 studies found that giving patients question checklists or providing in-office coaching can help them ask more questions of their health care provider and get more information that is useful.
July 2007
Drug-resistant breast cancer afflicts blacks
Why are black women, who are less likely to get breast cancer than white women, more likely to get it when they are young—and much more likely to die from it? Researchers have uncovered a crucial clue: Black women, particularly young ones, get hit much more often by an aggressive form of breast cancer that is invulnerable to many of the latest treatments.
Study finds difference in survival rates among white and black women with advanced breast cancer
Despite modest overall improvements in breast cancer survival rates for women with advanced disease over the last two decades, the rates for black women have not improved and the difference in life expectancy between white and black women continues to widen, according to researchers at M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.
Family tree can hide breast cancer: Father can pass on gene, study finds
A deadly gene’s path can hide in a family tree when a woman has few aunts and older sisters, making it appear that her breast cancer struck out of nowhere when it really came from Dad. Half of genetic breast cancers are inherited from a woman’s father, not her mother. But unless Dad has female relatives with breast cancer, the faulty gene may have been passed down silently, without causing caner. (Men can get genetic breast cancer, too, but it’s not common.)
Annual mammography reduces mortality in older breast cancer survivors
Annual mammography screening for breast cancer survivors older than 65 dramatically lowers their risk of death from breast cancer, whether by recurrence or another primary tumor. Results published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology show that each successive annual mammogram reduces a woman’s breast cancer mortality risk by about 31%; by the fourth year of compounding that reduction, their cumulative risk has been cut by 88%.
Mammograms lower rates of advanced breast cancer
Mammography screening has significantly reduced the number of breast cancer cases involving large tumors or disease that has spread to the lymph nodes, according to a Swedish study. For women between 40 and 49 years of age, mammography screening was associated with significant reductions in the rate of node-positive cancers, tumors larger than 2 cm, and cancers of stage II or higher, the investigators report in Cancer.
Shift in treating breast cancer is under debate
Doctors who treat women with breast cancer are glimpsing the possibility of a vastly different future. After years of adding more and more to the regimen—more drugs, shorter intervals between chemotherapy sessions, higher doses, longer periods of a harsh therapy—they are now wondering whether many women could skip chemotherapy altogether.
June 2007
Neither abortion nor miscarriage associated with breast cancer risk
Neither induced abortion nor spontaneous abortion (miscarriage) appears to be associated with breast cancer risk in premenopausal women, according to a report in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine. Researchers examined the association between abortion and breast cancer in 105,716 women who were part of the Nurses’ Health Study II.
Lymphedema after cancer—how serious is it?
Many people who survive cancer will suffer from a serious side effect of treatment known as lymphedema, and they may not even know about it. Lymphedema results when part of the lymphatic system is interrupted—when lymph nodes or vessels are removed or damaged, causing a “traffic jam” of lymph to build up.
Why breast cancer patients gain weight during treatment and how to manage it
Researchers first noted weight gain in breast cancer patients in 1978 and subsequent work expanded the understanding of the relationship between diet, exercise, weight gain and chemotherapy. Weight gain in breast cancer patients commonly ranges from about 5.5 pounds to about 13.5 pounds.
Aggressive treatments at end of life linked to worse quality of death for cancer patients
For patients with advanced cancer, aggressive treatment in the last week of life is linked to a worse quality of death and less likelihood of dying in the place of the patient’s choice, according to a presentation at the American Geriatrics Society annual meeting.
Growing gap seen in advanced breast cancer survival between black and white women
An analysis of women with advanced breast cancer over the past two decades has found that disparities in breast cancer survival between black and white women have increased. Although breast cancer-specific survival rates continuously increased for white women, they did not change for black women.
Fewer U.S. women get breast cancer test
After rising steadily for decades, the proportion of U.S. women getting mammograms to screen for breast cancer has dropped for the first time, federal researchers report. The overall rate at which women are undergoing regular mammograms fell 4% between 2000 and 2005, marking the first significant decline since use of the breast X-rays started expanding rapidly in 1987.
May 2007
Red meat “ups breast cancer risk”
Eating red meat significantly increases a post-menopausal woman’s chance of breast cancer, research suggests. Older women who ate one 2-oz portion a day had a 56% increased risk compared with those who ate none. Those who ate the most processed meat had a 64% greater risk of breast cancer than those who refrained.
MRI detects nearly all contralateral breast cancers
A new study has demonstrated a significant benefit of adding a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study to the standard diagnostic workup following a new diagnosis of breast cancer in one breast.
Studies shed light on spiritual needs of cancer patients, complementary and alternative medicine use among trial participants
Two new studies shed light on important issues in the care of advanced cancer patients—one study finds that many of these patients feel their spiritual support needs are not being met, while the other shows that many patients use biologically based complementary and alternative medicine.
Epigenetics and cancer prevention
Some cancers involve the inappropriate silencing or activation of genes through epigenetic changes, chemical modifications to DNA and proteins that control gene activity without causing a change in DNA sequence.
Hispanic women three times more likely to develop advanced breast cancer
A recent study finds that Hispanic women are almost three times more likely to be diagnosed with advanced breast cancer than non-Hispanic women. The differences were observed even after researchers adjusted for factors such as socioeconomic status, length of time the women had been enrolled in the managed health care system, and regular checkups.
Mammogram study evaluates computer-aided detection
Researchers are reporting that a computer system created to help radiologists interpret mammograms may not be helping after all. The system, known as computer-aided detection (CAD) used software to mark suspicious spots on mammograms that could be overlooked by radiologists.
Micrometastases may aid in breast cancer diagnosis and staging
Sentinel lymph node biopsy is considered the standard of care, and more and more information is being collected from each tissue sample. Pathologists are now able to describe micrometastases as small as 0.2 mm, and even identify smaller isolated cells. The significance of these even more detailed findings has yet to be determined.