Breast Cancer News and Research

Latest Breast Cancer News and Research

Confusion abounds on how to treat the menopause

The results in 2002 of a large U.S. study on hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in many respects left women confused and alarmed about the treatment for the menopause.

25 Oct 2006

Sens. Feinstein, Snowe ask FDA for safety review of silicone breast implant manufacturer's product application

Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Olympia Snowe (D-Maine) on Friday sent a joint letter to acting FDA Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach asking the agency to launch a full review into whether Santa Barbara, Calif.-based Mentor intentionally withheld safety data on its silicone breast implant application, CQ HealthBeat reports (CQ HealthBeat, 10/23).

24 Oct 2006

First research, treatment clinic for inflammatory breast cancer to open at University of Texas

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston on Wednesday is scheduled to open the "first clinic in the world" dedicated to the research and treatment of inflammatory breast cancer, the Houston Chronicle reports.

24 Oct 2006

Amgen, Brigham and Women's Hospital, NIH to launch women's health genome study

Biotechnology company Amgen, Boston-based Brigham and Women's Hospital and NIH plan to launch the Women's Health Genome Study -- which aims to discover the genetic causes of disorders affecting women, including breast cancer -- the Wall Street Journal reports.

24 Oct 2006

Identifying breast cancer patients most likely to benefit from Aromatase Inhibitor Therapy after adjuvant radiation and Tamoxifen

While some breast cancer survivors could benefit from adding aromatase inhibitors to the standard five years of tamoxifen, a new study shows the additional therapy should be weighed carefully for each individual.

23 Oct 2006

Race is associated with unfavorable breast cancer tumor biology

African-American women with breast cancer were more likely to have larger, later-stage tumors that were more difficult to treat and also had lower survival rates than Hispanic and Caucasian women who received the same treatment in two independent series of clinical trials examined by researchers from The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.

23 Oct 2006

Wall Street Journal examines debate over alternative HRT to treat menopausal symptoms

The Wall Street Journal on Saturday examined the debate over the risks and efficacy of alternatives to hormone replacement therapy for treatment of menopausal symptoms.

23 Oct 2006

Early detection, treatment of breast cancer leading to declining mortality rates

Although most health professionals agree that breast cancer is a "serious concern for women," there are some who believe the risk of getting breast cancer "has been blown out of proportion, sometimes to the detriment of more pressing issues," the Los Angeles Times reports.

23 Oct 2006

Quantum dots help cancer imaging studies

One of the more difficult diagnostic tasks an oncologist faces is determining if cancer has spread to the lymphatic system, particularly when it is necessary to assess lymphatic drainage from two separate drainage basins.

23 Oct 2006

Genomic test decides which drug is best for cancers

Scientists at Duke University, North Carolina have developed a panel of tests which are able to analyze a cancerous tumor and then decide which chemotherapy will most efficiently attack the cancer.

23 Oct 2006

New York State Court of Appeals upholds contraceptive coverage law

The New York State Court of Appeals on Thursday voted 6-0 to uphold rulings by the New York Supreme Court and the Appellate Division to leave intact a state law that requires employers -- including the Roman Catholic Church and other religious organizations -- who offer prescription drug plans to provide coverage for FDA-approved contraceptives for women, the New York Times reports.

22 Oct 2006

FDA advisory panel recommends adding warning label to Tamoxifen

An FDA advisory panel on Wednesday recommended that a warning label be added to tamoxifen, an agency-approved drug for treating and preventing breast cancer, the AP/Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports (Bridges, AP/Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 10/18).

19 Oct 2006

Black women in Chicago more likely to die from breast cancer than white women

Black women living in Chicago are more likely to die from breast cancer than white women in the city, according to a study released on Tuesday by the Sinai Urban Health Institute, the Chicago Tribune reports (Peres et al., Chicago Tribune, 10/18).

19 Oct 2006

All women in U.S. should have right to quality health care, breast cancer screenings

All women in the U.S. should have access to regular mammograms, and "none should be condemned by lack of funds to the painful death of breast cancer," the Rev. Jesse Jackson, a Chicago Sun-Times columnist, writes in a Sun-Times opinion piece.

19 Oct 2006

Benefits of breast cancer screening questionable

Danish researchers are claiming that the benefits of breast cancer screening are questionable and that mammograms can lead to women being given unnecessary and harmful treatment.

18 Oct 2006

Elderly breast cancer patients often are underdiagnosed, undertreated

Elderly women often receive substandard breast cancer screenings and treatment and delayed diagnoses compared with younger patients, according to a study published in the October issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association's Archives of Surgery, the Wall Street Journal reports.

17 Oct 2006

Racial disparities in preventive health care persist

The racial gap in preventive health care -- such as Pap tests, mammograms, and prostate and colorectal cancer screenings -- persists and might be larger than previously thought, a study published online in BMC Heath Services Research finds, the Washington Post reports.

17 Oct 2006

AACR announces major gift for breast cancer research

The American Association for Cancer Research today announces a $200,000 gift from the Breast Cancer Research Foundation which will create the BCRF-AACR Fund for Translational Breast Cancer Research.

17 Oct 2006

Vitamin D may slow down breast cancer

The authors of a new study are suggesting that vitamin D may slow down the progression of breast cancer.

17 Oct 2006

Advocacy group asks FDA to launch criminal investigation of allegedly withheld data on silicone breast implant application

The consumer advocacy group Public Citizen on Thursday sent a letter to acting FDA Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach asking the agency to conduct a criminal investigation into whether Santa Barbara, Calif.-based Mentor intentionally withheld safety data on its silicone breast implant application, the Washington Post reports.

16 Oct 2006