May 3, 2012

By Kathleen Doheny
HealthDay Reporter
THURSDAY, May 3 (HealthDay News) — 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.
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May 1, 2012

TUESDAY, May 1 (HealthDay News) — 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.
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May 1, 2012

By Carina Storrs
HealthDay Reporter
TUESDAY, May 1 (HealthDay News) — Women who receive a type of partial-breast radiation called brachytherapy may go on to have higher rates of breast cancer recurrence and side effects such as breast pain and infection than women receiving whole-breast radiation, a new study indicates.
Brachytherapy is an increasingly popular treatment option for women with early-stage breast cancer who have had a lumpectomy, which is surgery to remove just the part of the breast with the tumor.
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April 30, 2012

By Kathleen Doheny
HealthDay Reporter
MONDAY, April 30 (HealthDay News) — 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.
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April 23, 2012

By Denise Mann
HealthDay Reporter
MONDAY, April 23 (HealthDay News) — Prolonged exposure to low levels of the heavy metal cadmium may fuel the growth of some breast cancer cells and encourage them to spread, preliminary research indicates.
Found in many farm fertilizers, cadmium can make its way into soil and water. Some other main sources of cadmium include cigarette smoke, rechargeable batteries, certain cosmetics, bread and other cereals, potatoes, root crops and vegetables. Once it enters the body, cadmium may mimic the effects of the female hormone estrogen.
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April 23, 2012

MONDAY, April 23 (HealthDay News) — The stress of caring for a wife with breast cancer can harm a man’s health, and this effect can continue for years after her treatment ends, new research says.
The Ohio State University study of 32 men found that those who had the highest levels of stress related to their wives’ cancer were most likely to have physical symptoms — such as headaches and abdominal pain — and weaker immune responses.
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April 14, 2012

SATURDAY, April 14 (HealthDay News) — Exercise can help improve breast cancer patients’ quality of life while they undergo treatment, a new study indicates.
University of Miami researchers examined the physical activity levels and mental/physical health of 240 women with non-metastatic breast cancer (it hadn’t spread to other parts of the body) who were recruited for the study four to 10 weeks after surgery.
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April 9, 2012

By Kathleen Doheny
HealthDay Reporter
MONDAY, April 9 (HealthDay News) — 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.
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April 6, 2012
By Anne Harding
FRIDAY, April 6, 2012 (Health.com) — Each year billions of dollars are spent in the search to find new cancer drugs. Very few of these would-be treatments end up being approved by the government and entering widespread use, which makes it all the more intriguing that one of the most promising new cancer drugs in years is, in fact, an old drug.
Metformin, a diabetes drug, was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 1995, and since then tens of millions of Americans with diabetes have taken it daily to control their blood sugar. The first hint that metformin might also have anticancer properties came a decade later, when two research teams separately reported that diabetes patients were less likely to develop cancer, and less likely to die from the disease, if they were taking the drug. Read More
April 5, 2012

THURSDAY, April 5 (HealthDay News) — Many breast cancer patients who have undergone breast-conserving surgery undergo follow-up diagnostic and invasive breast procedures, a new study says.
Breast-conserving surgery is the most common treatment for women with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) breast cancer, but the amount of subsequent care in this group of patients wasn’t known.
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