Fruits, veggies slash breast cancer risk
Certain breast cancer survivors who load up on fruits and vegetables, eating far more than current U.S. guidelines, can slash their risk the tumors will come back by nearly a third, according to a U.S. study released on Monday. The finding only held for women who did not have hot flashes after their cancer therapy, the researchers said — a finding that suggests fruits and vegetables act on estrogen. Their... Read more
European origin may up Latinas’ breast cancer risk
Among United States Latinas, a greater degree of European genetic ancestry is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, the results of a new study indicate. This could be due to environmental factors, genetic factors, or the interplay of the two, the study team suggests. Latina women generally have a lower risk of breast cancer compared with European, African-American or non-Latina white... Read more
Radioactive ‘Seed’ Rx Helps Women With Implants Fight Breast Cancer
Women who have had their breasts augmented with implants and are later diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer may be treated successfully with a partial-breast radiation treatment known as brachytherapy, according to an Arizona physician and researcher. “It’s such a challenge to take care of these augmented women,” said Dr. Robert Kuske Jr., a Scottsdale radiation oncologist and... Read more
Some Breast Cancers May Regress on Their Own
Some breast cancers may naturally disappear without treatment, a study of women undergoing mammography suggests. The Norwegian study found that more cases of breast cancer were diagnosed after a regular screening program was put in place than before. That has led specialists to suspect that some of the diagnosed tumors would have spontaneously regressed had they not been detected and treated as the... Read more
Some breast cancers may spontaneously disappear
The results of a mammographic screening study suggest that some invasive breast cancers may spontaneously regress over time. These findings “provide new insight on what is arguably the major harm associated with mammographic screening, namely, the detection and treatment of cancers that would otherwise regress,” Dr. H. Gilbert Welch, from the Department of Veteran Affairs Medical Center,... Read more
Study boosts Roche’s Avastin in breast cancer
* Avastin meets goal in breast cancer clinical trial * Study shows Avastin can be added to common chemotherapies * Roche stock up 4.1 percent Roche Holding AG, the world’s largest maker of cancer drugs, said on Monday that Avastin met its primary endpoint in a Phase III breast cancer trial. Roche said Avastin, which it markets with Genentech Inc, increased the time breast cancer patients live... Read more
Family history can trump breast cancer gene test
If breast cancer runs in the family, women can be at high risk even if they test free of the disease’s most common gene mutations, sobering new research shows. The genes BRCA1 and BRCA2 are linked with particularly aggressive hereditary breast cancer, and an increased risk of ovarian cancer, too. When a breast cancer patient is found to carry one of those gene mutations, her relatives tend to... Read more
Psychological Counseling Boosts Breast Cancer Outcomes
Psychological counseling may improve the chances of survival for breast cancer patients, a new study says. Sessions that concentrate on mood improvement, effective coping and altering health behaviors appear to reduce stress and help the patient live longer, according to the report, published in the Dec. 15 issue of Cancer. “If efficacious psychological interventions to reduce stress are delivered... Read more
Calcium, Vitamin D Won’t Prevent Breast Cancer
Although calcium and vitamin D may keep your bones strong, these vital nutrients don’t appear to help postmenopausal women lower their risk of breast cancer. “The message is that there’s benefit from calcium and vitamin D for fracture risk, but taking those supplements won’t be doing much for breast cancer risk. You wouldn’t expect that you’re doing it to improve... Read more
Free Web Site Lists Breast Cancer Clinical Trials
A free online service that provides clinical trial information for women diagnosed or at risk for breast cancer was launched this week by the University of California, San Francisco, Center of Excellence for Breast Cancer Care. BreastCancerTrials.org includes information about clinical trials taking place at more than 1,100 medical facilities across the United States. “BreastCancerTrials.org... Read more