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Dieting May Lower Hormone Levels Tied to Breast Cancer
Posted 6 days ago by Drugs.com
MONDAY, May 21 – New research suggests that weight loss through exercise and dieting helps overweight women lower the levels of certain hormones in their blood, potentially raising the odds that they'll avoid developing breast cancer. The findings don't prove that losing weight this way will prevent breast cancer. Still, women who take medications to prevent the disease "need long-term solutions for managing their risk," study co-author Dr. Anne McTiernan, director of the Prevention Center at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, said in a news release from the center. "Weight loss represents an additional option for long-term breast cancer risk reduction without significant or bothersome side effects," McTiernan added. The study is published in the May 21 online issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Previous research at the center has suggested that "losing just 5 percent ... Read more
Related support groups: Breast Cancer, Breast Cancer, Prevention
Mammograms Beat Thermography for Breast Cancer Detection: Study
Posted 4 May 2012 by Drugs.com
FRIDAY, May 4 – Thermography – a breast cancer detection method touted by some as a substitute for mammography – is an unreliable cancer screen, according to new research. In a study of about 180 women, thermography missed about 50 percent of cancers and delivered too many false positives, said Dr. C.M. Guilfoyle, a researcher at Bryn Mawr Hospital in Pennsylvania. The radiation-free screening method uses computer software to measure and compare thermal abnormalities in the breasts and create a breast "map" to look for signs of developing breast cancer. The thinking is that increased temperature is found in areas with increased blood flow, and that may indicate a tumor. Researchers evaluated the technique, marketed as the No Touch Breast Scan, on the breasts of women undergoing biopsies after they had suspicious findings on other imaging exams. "I think we are still trying to ... Read more
Related support groups: Breast Cancer, Breast Cancer, Prevention, Diagnosis and Investigation
Many Breast Cancer Patients in Their 40s Aren't 'High-Risk': Study
Posted 3 May 2012 by Drugs.com
THURSDAY, May 3 – More than half of women in their 40s diagnosed with breast cancer after a routine mammogram had no family history of the disease, finds a new study that may add to the debate over the timing of breast cancer screening. The researchers say their results point to the value of annual screening mammograms for women 40 to 49. But others remain unconvinced. Family history usually means a first-degree relative with the disease (parent, sibling or child). Of those without family history who were found to have breast cancer, "64 percent of these women had invasive disease," said researcher Dr. Stamatia Destounis, a radiologist at Elizabeth Wende Breast Care Center and a clinical associate professor at the University of Rochester in New York. Destounis was to present her findings at the American Roentgen Ray Society annual meeting in Vancouver on Thursday. This is one of ... Read more
Related support groups: Breast Cancer, Breast Cancer, Prevention
Can Blood Test Predict Breast Cancer Risk?
Posted 1 May 2012 by Drugs.com
TUESDAY, May 1 – A blood test that spots changes in a specific gene could reveal a woman's risk for breast cancer years before the disease has a chance to develop, researchers report. British scientists analyzed blood samples from 640 breast cancer patients and 741 women without breast cancer. The samples from the breast cancer patients were collected an average of three years before they were diagnosed with the disease. The objective was to find out if the alteration of single genes by a process called methylation could predict a woman's breast cancer risk. The researchers found that women with the highest level of methylation on one area of a gene called ATM were two times more likely to develop cancer than those with the lowest level of methylation. Methylation is a critical process where chemicals known as "methyl groups" are added to DNA, to make sure everything is in good working ... Read more
Related support groups: Breast Cancer, Prevention
Here Are the Women Who Need Mammograms in Their 40s: Study
Posted 30 Apr 2012 by Drugs.com
MONDAY, April 30 – A new analysis that may help women in their 40s interpret mammogram guidelines says those with a family history of breast cancer or extremely dense breast tissue should start getting regular screenings. The benefits of getting a mammogram every two years outweigh the risks for these particular women, who are at increased risk for developing breast cancer, according to the U.S. National Cancer Institute-funded study. "Among a group of women who have twice the average level of risk, screening every other year starting at age 40 has the same balance of benefit and harms as starting at age 50," said researcher Dr. Jeanne Mandelblatt, associate director for population sciences at Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center in Washington, D.C. The research is published May 1 in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Experts currently disagree on the recommended frequency of ... Read more
Related support groups: Breast Cancer, Breast Cancer, Prevention
Teen Drinking May Boost Odds of Precancerous Breast Changes
Posted 9 Apr 2012 by Drugs.com
MONDAY, April 9 – Teenage girls and young adult women who drink even moderate amounts of alcohol appear to increase their risk of developing breast changes that can lead to cancer, according to a large new study. The study, which followed more than 29,000 females, found that for each 10 grams of alcohol (the equivalent of about one drink) consumed each day, the risk of developing these noncancerous cells and lesions – called proliferative benign breast disease (BDD) – increased 15 percent. "It's clear that this study shows that late adolescent alcohol [drinking] drives up the risk of these preliminary benign changes in the breast," said Dr. Graham Colditz, a professor of surgery and associate director for prevention and control at the Siteman Cancer Center of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. "The risk is substantial," Colditz said. The good news? Young women who ... Read more
Related support groups: Breast Cancer, Breast Cancer, Prevention, Acute Alcohol Intoxication
False-Positive Mammogram Results May Turn Out Not to Be: Study
Posted 5 Apr 2012 by Drugs.com
THURSDAY, April 5 – Women who have a false-positive result on their mammogram may be at higher long-term risk of developing breast cancer than those whose initial test is negative, according to a new Danish study. However, the link between false-positive results and an increased risk of breast cancer was weaker among women who had been screened from the early 2000s on, the researchers found. Experts have long known that screening mammograms, done in healthy women to detect breast cancer early, are bound to lead to some false-positive test results. These are results that seem to detect cancer but turn out to be false upon further testing. However, few studies have followed these women with false-positive results long-term to evaluate what happens, said My von Euler-Chelpin, an associate professor of epidemiology at the University of Copenhagen, who led the study. The new findings were ... Read more
Related support groups: Breast Cancer, Breast Cancer, Prevention, Diagnosis and Investigation
Early Study Hints That Breast Cancer Vaccine Might Work
Posted 2 Apr 2012 by Drugs.com
MONDAY, April 2 – A vaccine to prevent breast cancer's return in women with a history of the disease has triggered the desired immune response in early research. The vaccine under development is aimed at preventing recurrence in women who have a form of tumor known as HER2-positive, according to researcher Dr. Diane Hale, a research resident in general surgery at Brooke Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston, in San Antonio. She is set to present results of the study on Monday at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research in Chicago. The vaccine, known as the "HER2-based peptide vaccine AE37," is designed to harness the power of the patient's immune system, based on its reaction to a cancer-linked peptide (protein). "The theory is that once you form that [immune] response to the specific peptide, if the body has a recurrence, it will recognize that cancer as a ... Read more
Related support groups: Breast Cancer, Breast Cancer, Prevention
Dense Breasts May Be Linked to Cancer Recurrence
Posted 22 Mar 2012 by Drugs.com
THURSDAY, March 22 – Breast cancer is more likely to recur in women over 50 who have denser breast tissue, researchers report, noting that doctors should take breast density into account when making initial treatment decisions. The Swedish study found that women with denser breasts had nearly twice the risk of recurrence, either in the same breast or in the surrounding lymph nodes, than women with less dense breasts. "We found that if you have a PD [percentage density] at diagnosis of 25 percent or more, you have an almost twofold increased risk of local recurrence in the breast and surrounding lymph nodes than women with a PD of less than 25 percent," said Dr. Louise Eriksson and colleagues from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm. "However, density does not increase the risk of distant metastasis [spread] and has no effect on survival," Eriksson said. Breast density, which can be ... Read more
Related support groups: Breast Cancer, Breast Cancer, Prevention
Two Studies Find Routine Mammography Saves Lives
Posted 21 Mar 2012 by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, March 21 – Two long-term studies from the Netherlands suggest that routine mammography screening does save women's lives. One of the longest national breast cancer screening programs in the world led to a significant drop in deaths and caused limited harm, such as false-positive results and over-diagnosis, according to one of the new studies. Another study found that regular mammography screening helped save lives even after adjusting for improvements in breast cancer treatment. "These results show why mammography is such an effective screening tool," said one U.S. expert, Dr. Kristin Byrne, chief of breast imaging at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. She was not involved in the new research. Both studies were slated to be presented Wednesday at the European Breast Cancer Conference in Vienna, Austria. In one study, researchers analyzed data collected during the first 20 ... Read more
Related support groups: Breast Cancer, Breast Cancer, Prevention, Diagnosis and Investigation
Cadmium in Diet May Increase Breast Cancer Risk
Posted 15 Mar 2012 by Drugs.com
THURSDAY, March 15 – Consuming the toxic metal cadmium in the foods you eat may raise your risk for breast cancer, a new Swedish study suggests. Cadmium, which is found in many farm fertilizers, can make its way into soil and water, the researchers explained. Some of the main sources of cadmium in the diet are bread and other cereals, potatoes, root crops and vegetables. Once it enters the body, cadmium may mimic the effects of the female hormone estrogen, which can fuel the growth of certain breast cancers. "Modern life has become increasingly dangerous for our breast health," said Dr. Marisa Weiss, director of breast radiation oncology and breast health outreach at Lankenau Medical Center in Wynnewood, Pa. "Now, there's cadmium hanging onto our carrots and whole grains, the very vegetables that are supposed to be good for us," she noted. "To help our patients reduce their exposure to ... Read more
Related support groups: Breast Cancer, Toxic Reactions Incl Drug and Substance Abuse, Breast Cancer, Prevention
Breast Cancer Drug May Weaken Bones, Study Finds
Posted 7 Feb 2012 by Drugs.com
TUESDAY, Feb. 7 – A drug used to prevent breast cancer in women at high risk for the disease appears to cause bone loss in some postmenopausal women, a new study finds. The drug, Aromasin (exemestane), has been shown to reduce the odds of breast cancer by 65 percent, but it also worsens bone density by about three times in older women who are taking it, Canadian researchers report. "The drug did affect bone density at the hip and spine," said lead researcher Dr. Angela Cheung, a senior scientist at the University Health Network in Toronto. "It does not affect everyone; about 65 percent of women have some bone loss." The fear of bone loss is not a reason not to take the drug, Cheung said. "You really need to pay attention to your bone health when you take this medication, especially for preventing breast cancer." However, for women who are at high risk for fractures, other drugs should ... Read more
Related support groups: Breast Cancer, Aromasin, Exemestane, Breast Cancer, Prevention
Soy Supplements May Not Shield Against Breast Cancer
Posted 3 Feb 2012 by Drugs.com
FRIDAY, Feb. 3 – Soy supplements do not protect women against breast cancer, a new study suggests. The findings are consistent with the results of previous studies that examined the cancer prevention benefits of the dietary supplements, said lead researcher Dr. Seema Khan, a professor of surgery at the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University. The study included 98 women who were randomly assigned to receive a mixed soy isoflavones supplement or placebo. Isoflavones are components of soy foods thought to have anti-estrogen activity (estrogen is "fuel" for many breast cancers). After six months, the researchers examined levels of Ki-67 – a protein marker of cancer cell growth – in certain breast cancer cells taken from the women. Overall, there were no differences in Ki-67 levels between women who took the soy supplement and those who took the placebo. ... Read more
Related support groups: Breast Cancer, Soy, Breast Cancer, Prevention
Does Deodorant Ingredient Affect Breast Cancer Risk?
Posted 12 Jan 2012 by Drugs.com
THURSDAY, Jan. 12 – For several years, researchers have studied a possible link between substances called parabens – widely used as a germ-fighting preservative in cosmetics such as deodorant/antiperspirants – and breast cancer. Investigators have learned that parabens, also found in some drugs and food products, can mimic weakly the action of the female hormone estrogen – an established risk factor for breast cancer. And the fact that a disproportionate number of breast tumors occur nearer the underarm also had scientists wondering. But now, British researchers who examined breast tissue samples from 40 women who had mastectomies have found that traces of parabens are widespread in tissues, even in the seven women who said they'd never used underarm products. "The implication is that in these seven nonusers, the paraben measured must have come from another product or products," ... Read more
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British Study Suggests Mammograms May Do More Harm Than Good
Posted 8 Dec 2011 by Drugs.com
THURSDAY, Nov. 8 – Women aged 40 and older who follow recommendations to have annual mammograms may do themselves more harm than good, British researchers report. Study author James Raftery, a professor of health technology assessment at the Wessex Institute at the University of Southampton, said that "this is due to reduced quality of life of those who receive diagnoses that turn out to be false and to those who are treated unnecessarily." Women who plan to have a mammogram should be aware of the balance of harms and benefits and take these into account in deciding whether to get one or not, he said. "Be aware of the harms as well as the benefits of breast cancer screening," Raftery said. When and how often mammography screening makes medical sense is currently being debated in the United States and elsewhere. Some experts think women should start getting them at age 40, while others ... Read more
Related support groups: Breast Cancer, Breast Cancer, Prevention, Diagnosis and Investigation
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