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Breast Cancer - Palliative News
Nerlynx Approved to Help Prevent Breast Cancer's Return
Posted 7 days ago by Drugs.com
TUESDAY, July 18, 2017 – Nerlynx (neratinib) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to help prevent HER2-positive breast cancer from returning. It's the first drug designed to prevent return of HER2-positive breast cancer, a genetic form of the disease that's particularly aggressive and can spread to other parts of the body, the agency said in a news release. The drug is meant for what's known as extended adjuvant therapy – given after initial treatment, to further reduce the risk that cancer will return. Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States, the FDA said. The disease is projected to be diagnosed in more than 250,000 women this year, and more than 46,000 are likely to die of the disease, according to the U.S. National Cancer Institute. Nerlynx, among a class of drugs designed to block enzymes that fuel cancer-cell growth, was ... Read more
Related support groups: Breast Cancer, Breast Cancer, Metastatic, Breast Cancer - Adjuvant, Breast Cancer, Prevention, Breast Cancer - Palliative, Nerlynx, Neratinib
Most Breast Cancer Patients Have Help Choosing Treatments
Posted 15 days ago by Drugs.com
MONDAY, July 10, 2017 – Most women who've been diagnosed with breast cancer don't go it alone. Many breast cancer patients depend on family and friends to help them make treatment decisions, get to doctor appointments and seek out other resources. A new study finds half of women rely on three or more people to help them through it. "People just diagnosed with cancer are often scared and overwhelmed. Having another person to help them process information is important," said study lead author Lauren Wallner, an assistant professor of general medicine and epidemiology at the University of Michigan. "Physicians need to recognize that women involve other people in their treatment decisions," she added in a university news release. "These people represent an important group to provide information about treatment options." For the study, the researchers surveyed about 2,500 women who had ... Read more
Related support groups: Depo-Provera, Provera, Breast Cancer, Lupron, Medroxyprogesterone, Tamoxifen, Arimidex, Lupron Depot, Femara, Gleevec, Breast Cancer, Metastatic, Zoladex, Anastrozole, Letrozole, Evista, Megestrol, Tasigna, Megace, Herceptin, Sprycel
For Holocaust Survivors, Raised Risk of Cancer
Posted 15 days ago by Drugs.com
MONDAY, July 10, 2017 – Holocaust survivors face an increased risk for cancer, a new study finds. The study included more than 152,600 survivors of the World War II genocide who were followed for more than 45 years. The researchers compared whether these survivors received compensation for their suffering and whether they were born in Nazi-occupied countries. Cancer was diagnosed in 22 percent of compensated survivors and 16 percent of the others, the findings showed. Compensated survivors were 6 percent more likely to develop any type of cancer; 12 percent more likely to have colorectal cancer; and 37 percent more likely to have lung cancer. In addition, the investigators found that people born in occupied countries had an 8 percent higher cancer risk. Their risk of colorectal cancer was also 8 percent higher, and their risk of lung cancer was 12 percent higher. Female holocaust ... Read more
Related support groups: Cancer, Breast Cancer, Lung Cancer, Colorectal Cancer, Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, Small Cell Lung Cancer, Breast Cancer, Prevention, Diagnosis and Investigation, Breast Cancer - Palliative
2 of 3 Americans Don't Have 'Advance Directive' for End of Life
Posted 17 days ago by Drugs.com
FRIDAY, July 7, 2017 – Most people don't like talking about dying, especially their own death. But it's important to let your loved ones know how you'd like your medical care handled when your "time" comes. Yet, new research found that two-thirds of American adults haven't completed an advance directive. That's a legal document that outlines a person's wishes if they become incapacitated and can't make their own health care decisions, particularly near the end of life. "Most experts agree that some form of written directives are a key component of advance care planning, and yet rates of completion are low and do not appear to be increasing," said study leader Dr. Katherine Courtright. She is an instructor at the University of Pennsylvania's Palliative and Advanced Illness Research Center. "We need to address common barriers to completing these important documents on a national level, ... Read more
Related support groups: Cancer, Breast Cancer, Ankylosing Spondylitis, Colorectal Cancer, Breast Cancer, Metastatic, Breast Cancer - Palliative, Gastric Cancer
Do Blacks, Hispanics Get Low Quality Hospice Care?
Posted 19 days ago by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, July 5, 2017 – Hospice quality varies, with blacks and Hispanics often getting less desirable end-of-life care, a new study finds. Researchers surveyed thousands of caregivers whose loved ones died in hospice care. They found that minority patients were more likely to receive care in poorer quality hospices than white patients. They also said that family caregivers of black and Hispanic hospice patients were less likely to receive adequate emotional and religious support. "Our findings highlight the need to ensure that blacks and Hispanics have access to high-quality and culturally competent hospice services," said study lead author Rebecca Anhang Price, a senior policy researcher at the RAND Corp. "This is particularly important as people from these groups increase their use of hospice services," she added in a RAND news release. The report wasn't all bad news for ... Read more
Related support groups: Cancer, Breast Cancer, Prostate Cancer, Colorectal Cancer, Skin Cancer, Head and Neck Cancer, Breast Cancer - Palliative, Gastric Cancer
FDA Widens Access to 'Cooling Cap' to Stop Hair Loss in Cancer Patients
Posted 20 days ago by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, July 5, 2017 – More cancer patients may be able to ward off hair loss during chemotherapy treatment. A cooling cap approved in 2015 for use in breast cancer patients has won expanded approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The DigniCap Cooling System can now be used for patients with solid tumors, the FDA announced. The computer-controlled cap contains liquid that circulates and cools the scalp, narrowing blood vessels. This reduces how much of the chemotherapy drugs reach hair follicle cells, the FDA said. Cooling also decreases activity of hair follicles and slows cell division. The result: Chemo drugs don't affect them as much, according to the FDA. Hair loss is a common side effect of chemotherapy, especially during treatment of most solid tumor cancers. Hair may fall out all at once, little by little or become thin. It's usually temporary – and upsetting. ... Read more
Related support groups: Depo-Provera, Provera, Breast Cancer, Lupron, Medroxyprogesterone, Tamoxifen, Arimidex, Lupron Depot, Femara, Gleevec, Breast Cancer, Metastatic, Zoladex, Anastrozole, Letrozole, Megestrol, Evista, Tasigna, Megace, Herceptin, Sprycel
New Microscope Scans Breast Tumors During Surgery
Posted 28 Jun 2017 by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, June 28, 2017 – A new microscope could help surgeons remove breast tumors completely, reducing the number of women who must undergo repeat surgeries to remove cancer cells that were missed the first time. The microscope, developed by scientists and engineers at the University of Washington, effectively scans tumors and examines cells in three dimensions in under 30 minutes, researchers report. "Pathologists are currently very limited in how much they can look at on a glass slide," study co-author Adam Glaser, a postdoctoral fellow in the UW Molecular Biophotonics Laboratory, said in a university news release. "If we can give them three-dimensional data, we can give them more information to help improve the accuracy of a patient's diagnosis." When removing a breast tumor, known as a lumpectomy, surgeons attempt to remove the cancer but spare as much healthy tissue as ... Read more
Related support groups: Surgery, Breast Cancer, Breast Cancer - Adjuvant, Breast Cancer, Prevention, Breast Cancer - Palliative, Surgical Prophylaxis
Medicaid Cuts Tied to Delayed Breast Cancer Diagnoses
Posted 26 Jun 2017 by Drugs.com
MONDAY, June 26, 2017 – As Congress takes aim at replacing "Obamacare," a new study says Medicaid cuts could boost the number of women diagnosed with late-stage breast cancer. The study looked at what happened after a budget crunch caused Tennessee to cut nearly 170,000 people from its Medicaid rolls in 2005. Within the next few years, the researchers found, late-stage breast cancer cases rose in low-income areas of the state. "We can't say that Medicaid disenrollment was the direct cause," said researcher Lindsay Sabik, an associate professor at the University of Pittsburgh. But, she said, there was clearly a correlation. The findings come at a crucial time: Republicans in both houses of Congress have proposed legislation that would cut off federal funding for Obamacare's expansion of Medicaid. Medicaid is a government program that helps millions of low-income Americans pay their ... Read more
Related support groups: Breast Cancer, Breast Cancer, Metastatic, Breast Cancer - Adjuvant, Breast Cancer, Prevention, Breast Cancer - Palliative
Mammogram Decision Hinges on Patient-Doc Talk, Ob-Gyn Group Says
Posted 22 Jun 2017 by Drugs.com
THURSDAY, June 22, 2017 – As the debate continues about the best time for mammograms, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) is asking women to add their voice to the discussion. In updated guidelines on breast cancer screening for average-risk women, ACOG emphasized shared decision-making between a woman and her doctor about when to start mammography screening and how often to do it. "What is critically important is that the patient's value and preferences are factored into that decision-making process," said Dr. Christopher Zahn, ACOG's vice president of practice activities. The new guidelines, Zahn said, are "empowering women to be involved in that decision." ACOG recommends that women at average risk of breast cancer be offered screening mammography beginning at age 40. The decision about whether to start at that age, however, should be made by a woman and ... Read more
Related support groups: Breast Cancer, Breast Cancer, Metastatic, Breast Cancer, Prevention, Breast Cancer - Palliative
Asian Women Less Likely to Get Follow-up After Abnormal Mammogram
Posted 12 Jun 2017 by Drugs.com
MONDAY, June 12, 2017 – Asian women in the San Francisco area were less likely than white women to get follow-up tests following an abnormal mammogram result, researchers report. Women who receive suspicious mammogram results are urged to get checked in a timely manner to rule out breast cancer, which should be treated as early as possible to ensure the best possible outcomes, the study authors said. However, the researchers, led by Kim Hanh Nguyen and Dr. Leah Karliner of the University of California, San Francisco, explained that many population-based breast cancer studies don't include Asians or differentiate among individual groups of patients. "Rather than being a monolithic group, Asians are, in fact, very diverse in nationalities, language, immigration history, education, and economic background. Recognizing differences among Asians may help clinicians develop better rapport and ... Read more
Related support groups: Breast Cancer, Breast Cancer, Metastatic, Breast Cancer, Prevention, Breast Cancer - Palliative, Diagnosis and Investigation, Osteolytic Bone Metastases of Breast Cancer, Body Imaging
Drug Helps Fight Breast Tumors Tied to 'Cancer Genes'
Posted 4 Jun 2017 by Drugs.com
SUNDAY, June 4, 2017 – A twice-daily pill could help some advanced breast cancer patients avoid or delay follow-up sessions of chemotherapy, a new clinical trial reports. The drug olaparib (Lynparza) reduced the chances of cancer progression by about 42 percent in women with breast cancer linked to BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations, according to the study. Olaparib delayed cancer progression by about three months. The drug also caused tumors to shrink in three out of five patients who received the medication, the researchers reported. "Clearly the drug was more effective than traditional chemotherapy," said Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, deputy chief medical officer for the American Cancer Society. "This is a group where a response is more difficult to obtain – a young group with a more aggressive form of cancer – and nonetheless we saw a close to 60 percent objective response rate," he said. The ... Read more
Related support groups: Breast Cancer, Breast Cancer, Metastatic, Breast Cancer - Adjuvant, Breast Cancer, Prevention, Breast Cancer - Palliative, Lynparza, Olaparib
Pregnancy Doesn't Raise Odds for Breast Cancer's Return
Posted 4 Jun 2017 by Drugs.com
SATURDAY, June 3, 2017 – There's good news for younger breast cancer survivors: Pregnancy does not seem to increase the chances that their disease will return, researchers report. "Our findings confirm that pregnancy after breast cancer should not be discouraged, even for women with ER-positive [estrogen-sensitive] cancer," said study author Dr. Matteo Lambertini, a medical oncologist at the Institut Jules Bordet, in Brussels. Lambertini's group tracked outcomes for more than 1,200 breast cancer survivors. The research showed that those who became pregnant did not have any higher risk of cancer recurrence and death over an average of 10 years follow-up, compared to women who did not become pregnant. This was true even if the women had experienced estrogen receptor (ER)-positive tumors. ER-positive breast cancer is fueled by estrogen, and it was thought that increased levels of the ... Read more
Related support groups: Birth Control, Contraception, Breast Cancer, Vitamin/Mineral Supplementation during Pregnancy/Lactation, Breast Cancer, Prevention, Breast Cancer - Palliative, Labor and Delivery including Augmentation
Drug Xeloda Prolongs Survival for Some Breast Cancer Patients
Posted 31 May 2017 by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, May 31, 2017 – A drug called Xeloda can extend the lives of some women whose breast cancer is not wiped out by standard treatment, a new clinical trial finds. Oncologists said the results are "practice-changing." "This drug is already approved, and we've been using it for a long time in cancer treatment," said Dr. Stephen Malamud, an oncologist at Mount Sinai in New York City. Xeloda (capecitabine) is a pill, so it's easy to take and is "much less toxic" than standard chemotherapy, noted Malamud, who was not involved in the new research. "Most importantly," he said, "it extended overall survival in this study." In 1998, Xeloda was approved in the United States for advanced breast cancer that had spread to distant sites in the body. The new trial, done in Japan and South Korea, tested the drug for a different group of patients. It focused on 910 women whose breast tumors were ... Read more
Related support groups: Breast Cancer, Breast Cancer, Metastatic, Xeloda, Herceptin, Breast Cancer - Adjuvant, Breast Cancer, Prevention, Capecitabine, Breast Cancer - Palliative
Yoga, Meditation May Ease Some Breast Cancer Symptoms
Posted 19 May 2017 by Drugs.com
FRIDAY, May 19, 2017 – The diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer can come with a lot of anxiety, depression and other symptoms that affect quality of life. But mind-body therapies, such as yoga or meditation, may help ease these troubling concerns, a new study suggests. The researchers reviewed previous studies done on 80 integrative therapies. "We have good evidence that [some] mind-body therapies – such as meditation, yoga, relaxation – can provide benefit to breast cancer patients during and after treatment," said study researcher Heather Greenlee. She's an assistant professor of epidemiology at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health. "And we do have evidence that acupuncture is very useful in managing pain," she added. Evidence about dietary supplements and botanicals, however, are lacking when it comes to helping symptoms and side effects, she said. Greenlee ... Read more
Related support groups: Depression, Cancer, Major Depressive Disorder, Breast Cancer, Breast Cancer, Metastatic, Dysthymia, Breast Cancer - Adjuvant, Breast Cancer, Prevention, Breast Cancer - Palliative, Breast Cancer - Male, Osteolytic Bone Metastases of Breast Cancer
More U.S. Women Living Longer With Advanced Breast Cancer
Posted 18 May 2017 by Drugs.com
THURSDAY, May 18, 2017 – The number of U.S. women living with the most advanced stage of breast cancer has been rising since the 1990s, a new study finds. Researchers say that treatment advances, allowing more breast cancer patients to survive longer, are one likely reason. The general aging of the U.S. population is another. Right now, the study estimated, close to 155,000 U.S. women are living with metastatic breast cancer – cancer that has spread beyond the breast to distant sites in the body. That is up from roughly 105,000 in 1990. Breast cancer experts said the figures are actually the first estimates of how many U.S. women are living with metastatic disease. A number has been hard to come by, they said, because there is no national system that tracks cancer recurrences: Since U.S. women are typically diagnosed with earlier-stage breast cancer, most metastatic cases would – ... Read more
Related support groups: Breast Cancer, Breast Cancer, Metastatic, Breast Cancer, Prevention, Breast Cancer - Palliative, Diagnosis and Investigation, Osteolytic Bone Metastases of Breast Cancer, Body Imaging
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