Disagreement persists between professional societies and organizations over the best time to start and to discontinue mammography for breast cancer screening, as well as the optimal amount of time between screenings. A research letter published by JAMA Internal Medicine IN April 2017 examines breast cancer screening recommendations physicians give their patients amid recent guideline changes.… Continue reading Breast Cancer Screening Recommendations Amid Changing Guidelines
Tag: Breast Cancer
Report on The Status of Cancer: Good and Bad News
Although cancer is still one of the greatest health dangers facing Americans, an analysis by the federal National Cancer Institute (NCI) and other agencies has found that overall death rates from the illness continue to decline. But disparities in survival rates remain affected by an array of socioeconomic factors, and more progress needs to be… Continue reading Report on The Status of Cancer: Good and Bad News
More Patients with Early-Stage Breast Cancer May Not Need Chemo
Women with early-stage breast cancer who had an intermediate risk recurrence score (RS) from a 21-gene expression assay had similar outcomes, regardless of whether they received chemotherapy, according to a February 2017 study from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer. A release from the center notes that the encouraging research, published in the journal… Continue reading More Patients with Early-Stage Breast Cancer May Not Need Chemo
Simple Steps to Reduce Breast-Cancer Risk
When it comes to breast-cancer prevention, most women know about the importance of self-examinations, mammograms and any genetic factors. But other steps that can help women avoid breast cancer may not be as well known, or at least not as often discussed. “Although breast cancer is, rightfully, a significant concern, every woman should keep in… Continue reading Simple Steps to Reduce Breast-Cancer Risk
Exercise and Breast-Cancer Drugs
Breast-cancer patients who are taking hormone-therapy drugs known as aromatase inhibitors (AIs) can improve their health outcome through a combination of resistance and aerobic exercise, according to a researcher from Syracuse University. Gwendolyn Thomas, assistant professor of exercise science , is the co-author of a groundbreaking article in the Obesity Journal (The Obesity Society, 2017)… Continue reading Exercise and Breast-Cancer Drugs
No Evidence for Age-Based Mammography Cut-Off
In the largest-ever study on screening mammography outcomes, researchers found that there is no clear cut-off age to stop breast cancer screening. The findings were presented on November 28th 2016 at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) in Chicago. This research adds support for guidelines that encourage screening decisions based… Continue reading No Evidence for Age-Based Mammography Cut-Off
Drug Combo for Breast Cancer Close to Getting Worldwide Approval
Building on earlier clinical trials, researchers at the University of Californina, Los Angeles have confirmed that the “breakthrough” drug palbociclib when used in combination with the traditional hormonal therapy letrozole delays progression of advanced breast cancer significantly and without the harsh side effects seen in some women prescribed letrozole alone. A release from the university… Continue reading Drug Combo for Breast Cancer Close to Getting Worldwide Approval
Cancer Treatment Inspired by a Sea Creature
A rare toxin produced by a sea creature called Diazona angulata appears to hold promise for treating many different types of cancer while minimizing the harmful side effects of widely used chemotherapy drugs, according to a University of California, Los Angles study published in November 2016 in the journal Science Translational Medicine. The paper describes research… Continue reading Cancer Treatment Inspired by a Sea Creature
Mammograms: What You Need to Know from The FDA
Mammograms are still the best tool for breast cancer screening. And the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) certifies facilities that perform mammography —and clears and approves new mammography devices—to help keep you safe. How Does the Test Work—and Is It Painful? A mammogram is a low-dose X-ray picture of the breast. Getting a mammogram… Continue reading Mammograms: What You Need to Know from The FDA
Going Flat: Choosing No Breast Reconstruction After Mastectomy
A mastectomy is a traumatic experience. Anyone who has had to go through this surgery can attest to the fact that the scars can be more than skin deep. It doesn’t matter if the mastectomy is the result of a cancer diagnosis or a prophylactic measure to reduce an increased risk due to a genetic… Continue reading Going Flat: Choosing No Breast Reconstruction After Mastectomy
Simple Steps To Reduce The Odds Of Developing Breast Cancer
When it comes to breast-cancer prevention, most women are probably aware of the need for self examinations and mammograms, as well as awareness of a family history for breast cancer. But other factors that can help women avoid breast cancer may not be as well known, or at least not as often discussed. With October… Continue reading Simple Steps To Reduce The Odds Of Developing Breast Cancer
Radiologists Can Detect Breast Cancer in Less than A Second
Radiologists can detect breast cancer in the “blink of an eye” while studying mammograms, according to new research. The study, by investigators at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in collaboration with researchers at the University of York and Leeds in the UK and MD Anderson Cancer Center in Texas, was published in the Proceedings of the… Continue reading Radiologists Can Detect Breast Cancer in Less than A Second
Why Some Breast-Cancer Tumors Resist Medicine
A team of Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine cancer researchers has uncovered one way certain tumors resist vital medication. In the study, published in Oncotarget, the researchers studied tumor biopsies collected from breast cancer patients before and after treatment with the go-to breast cancer drug trastuzumab (also known as Herceptin). Some of the… Continue reading Why Some Breast-Cancer Tumors Resist Medicine
Existing Drug Could Help Women with Breast-Cancer Gene
Australian researchers have discovered that an existing medication could have promise in preventing breast cancer in women carrying a faulty BRCA1 gene. People who carry that gene are at high risk of developing aggressive breast cancer. Currently many women with a gene mutation choose surgical removal of their breast tissue and ovaries to reduce their… Continue reading Existing Drug Could Help Women with Breast-Cancer Gene
Lowered Doses of Chemo Drug for Breast Ca May Promote Ca Spread to Liver
If you or someone you love is being treated with paclitaxel (PTX) for breast cancer, listen up. Research done by a team of scientists in China and published June 16th 2016 in the FEBS Journal indicates that although paclitaxel, which is the most commonly used chemotherapy for breast cancer, does suppress tumors when given at… Continue reading Lowered Doses of Chemo Drug for Breast Ca May Promote Ca Spread to Liver
Why Some Women Don’t Follow Up on Breast-Cancer Therapy
Researchers have found that patients who did not adhere to their medication schedule for chronic conditions, such as diabetes, prior to a breast cancer diagnosis were twice as likely to skip oral adjuvant hormonal therapy after their diagnosis. Patients who skipped medications for their chronic conditions had a 23 percent non-adherence rate to hormone treatment,… Continue reading Why Some Women Don’t Follow Up on Breast-Cancer Therapy
Breast-Cancer Risk Can Be Reduced via Lifestyle Choices
Women with a high risk of developing breast cancer based on family history and genetic risk can still reduce the chance they will develop the disease in their lifetimes by following a healthy lifestyle, according to new research. The study, led by the Johns , new research led by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of… Continue reading Breast-Cancer Risk Can Be Reduced via Lifestyle Choices
Women Who Use Alternative Medical Techniques Tend to Postpone Chemotherapy
Women with early stage breast cancer were less likely to start chemotherapy if they used alternative therapies, according to latest research led by Heather Greenlee, ND, PhD, associate professor of Epidemiology at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. The study, one of the first to examine the interaction betweeh complementary alternative medicine (CAM) and… Continue reading Women Who Use Alternative Medical Techniques Tend to Postpone Chemotherapy