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Health News:Breast Cancer

Dense Breasts Raise Risk of Cancer Recurrence

November 9, 2009

MONDAY, Nov. 9 (HealthDay News) — After a lumpectomy, women with very dense breasts have a higher risk of cancer recurrence in the affected breast, a new study shows.

Breast density has already been linked with an increased risk of developing breast cancer, and experts have suspected that very dense breasts may also be associated with an increased risk of cancer recurrence at the site of the original cancer after lumpectomy.

The Canadian study, which involved a 10-year follow-up and is published online Nov. 9 and in the Dec. 15 print issue of Cancer, suggests those suspicions are correct. Read More

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Breast Cancer Drugs May Fight Cervical Cancer, Too

November 9, 2009

MONDAY, Nov. 9 (HealthDay News) — Two drugs used to treat breast cancer and osteoporosis eliminated cervical cancer in mice, according to a new study.

The drugs also cleared precancerous growths in the cervix and vagina, and prevented the onset of cancer in mice with precancerous lesions.

The breast cancer drug fulvestrant and the breast cancer/osteoporosis drug raloxifene were given to mice genetically engineered to carry human papillomavirus (HPV) 16, which is strongly associated with cervical cancer. Both drugs prevent estrogen from working in cells. Fulvestrant is marketed for women as Faslodex, and raloxifene is marketed as Evista. Read More

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Shorter, More Intense Radiation OK for Some Breast Cancers

November 4, 2009

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 4 (HealthDay News) — A shorter, more intense course of whole-breast radiation works as well as the traditional six-week course, at least for some early-stage breast cancers, a new study shows.

“This concept of a shorter length of treatment is gaining acceptance,” said Dr. Manjeet Chadha, associate chair of radiation oncology at Beth Israel Medical Center and associate professor of radiation oncology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, both in New York City. Chadha led the study and is scheduled to present the results Wednesday at the American Society for Radiation Oncology annual meeting, in Chicago. Read More

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Drug Could Help Treat Small HER2-Positive Breast Tumors

November 3, 2009

TUESDAY, Nov. 3 (HealthDay News) — Women with a relatively uncommon type of breast cancer are significantly more likely to face its recurrence and spread, but researchers now say these women may benefit from treatment with the breast cancer drug Herceptin.

Two studies, from the United States and Italy, examined cases of women with small (1 centimeter or less in diameter) HER2-positive breast cancers that hadn’t spread to the lymph nodes. The researchers found that the cancer is more than two times more likely to recur in HER2-positive women than in women with HER2-negative breast cancers.

The U.S. study, which looked at 965 women diagnosed between 1990 and 2002, also found that HER2-positive women had a more than fivefold higher risk of metastasis, in which the cancer spreads to other parts of the body, once the cancer returns than those with HER2-negative tumors.

The researchers estimate that only one in four breast cancers are HER2-positive. The new research, published in the Nov. 2 online edition of the Journal of Clinical Oncology, looked at those with small tumors.

Currently, the guidelines don’t suggest that women with such small tumors receive treatment with the drug trastuzumab (Herceptin). However, the authors of the new studies recommend that the drug be considered for them.

“We expected the risk of recurrence and metastasis in HER2-positive node-negative patients with small tumors to be higher than in women with HER2-negative tumors, but we didn’t expect the magnitude of this [increased] risk to be so high,” Dr. Ana M. Gonzalez-Angulo, an associate professor in the department of breast medical oncology at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and lead author of the U.S. study, said in a news release from the journal’s publisher. “This elevated risk is unacceptable, and indicates that women with small HER2-positive node-negative breast tumors should be offered participation in clinical trials assessing anti-HER2 therapies, such as trastuzumab [Herceptin], or other adjuvant treatment.”

More information

Learn more about breast cancer from the U.S. National Cancer Institute.

— Randy Dotinga

SOURCE: American Society of Clinical Oncology, news release, Nov. 2, 2009

Last Updated: Nov. 03, 2009

Copyright © 2009 ScoutNews, LLC. All rights reserved.

Related Links:

Breast Cancer Myths
Breast Cancer Quiz
Do You Have Breast Cancer in Your Family?
Life After Breast Cancer

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Meditation May Reduce Stress in Breast Cancer Patients

October 28, 2009

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 28 (HealthDay News) — Transcendental meditation reduces stress and improves the emotional and mental well-being of breast cancer patients, new study findings suggest.

The two-year trial included 130 patients at Saint Joseph Hospital in Chicago, aged 55 and older, randomly assigned to either a transcendental meditation group or to a usual care control group. Quality of life was assessed every six months. Read More

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Breast Cancer Gene Tied to Diagnosis at Younger Age

October 16, 2009

FRIDAY, Oct. 16 (HealthDay News) — Women with a high genetic risk of developing breast cancer are being diagnosed sooner than similar women in the past, which may suggest that tumors are developing earlier in the younger generation, researchers say.

The finding, presented at the 2009 Breast Cancer Symposium, held last week in San Francisco, could potentially affect how women are screened for breast cancer. Read More

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Race Not a Factor if Breast Cancer Chemo Succeeds

October 14, 2009

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 14 (HealthDay News) — Among women with locally advanced breast cancer who undergo the same class of chemotherapy, race doesn’t affect the odds of having no sign of disease at surgery, a new study finds.

Having no sign of the disease is considered a good sign that bodes well for a woman’s prognosis, although it’s not a guarantee that the cancer has vanished for good, the study authors noted. Read More

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Mastectomy Not First Choice for Most Breast Cancer Patients

October 13, 2009

TUESDAY, Oct. 13 (HealthDay News) — Contrary to common belief, most women diagnosed with breast cancer are not turning to mastectomy as their first choice for treatment but are first trying more conservative approaches, such as lumpectomy, a new survey has found.

The survey, reported in the Oct. 14 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, also found that U.S. doctors are doing a good job of presenting newly diagnosed breast cancer patients with a range of treatment options. Read More

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With Hormone Therapy, Tender Breasts May Signal Cancer Risk

October 12, 2009

MONDAY, Oct. 12 (HealthDay News) — Breast tenderness in women taking estrogen/progestin hormone replacement therapy could signal increased chances of developing breast cancer, a new study says.

Women taking estrogen plus progestin who reported developing breast tenderness after starting the hormone therapy were 48 percent more likely to develop invasive breast cancer than women on hormone therapy who did not experience breast tenderness. Read More

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Vitamin D Good for Breast Cancer Patients

October 9, 2009

FRIDAY, Oct. 9 (HealthDay News) — Many breast cancer patients have low levels of vitamin D, which could lead to weaker bones and increased risk of fractures, say U.S. researchers who recommend high doses of vitamin D for them.

“Vitamin D is essential to maintaining bone health, and women with breast cancer have accelerated bone loss due to the nature of hormone therapy and chemotherapy. It’s important for women and their doctors to work together to boost their vitamin D intake,” Luke Peppone, a research assistant professor of radiation oncology at the University of Rochester Medical Center, said in a news release from the medical cwnter. Read More

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