Breast Cancer Information

A tiny modification called methylation on estrogen receptors prolongs the life of these growth-driving molecules in breast cancer cells, according to research by scientists at Emory University's Winship Cancer Institute.The results are published in the May 9, 2008 issue of the journal Molecular Cell.Most breast cancers contain estrogen receptors, which enable them to grow in the presence of the hormone estrogen.

Radiologists can, with confidence, recommend a six-month follow-up diagnostic mammogram rather than an immediate biopsy for patients with "probably benign" breast lesions, a new study emphasizes.The study found that six-month short-interval follow-up examinations had an 83% sensitivity, which is similar to the sensitivity of other diagnostic mammograms, said Erin J. Aiello Bowles, MPH, lead author of the study from the Group Health Center for Health Studies.

A new approach to estimating tumour growth based on breast screening results from almost 400,000 women is published today BioMed Central's open access journal, Breast Cancer Research. This new model can also estimate the proportion of breast cancers which are detected at screening (screen test sensitivity). It provides a new approach to simultaneously estimating the growth rate of breast cancer and the ability of mammography screening to detect tumours.

Breastcancer patients can receive radiotherapy in a lower overall dose, givenin fewer, larger administrations, while maintaining similar tumorcontrol and creating fewer adverse side effects than current therapy.These conclusions come from the United Kingdom's Standardisation ofBreast Radiotherapy Trials A and B (START A and B), and were releasedon March 19, 2008 in Lancet Oncology and TheLancet respectively.

Native Hawaiians, Maoris and Polynesians have higher rates of breast, stomach, cervical and lung cancer than whites, according to a study published in the May issue of The Lancet Oncology, the Honolulu Advertiser reports.

The University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI) has announced the establishment of the Frieda G. and Saul F. Shapira BRCA Cancer Research Program. BRCA 1 and 2 are two genes that, when mutated, dramatically increase the risk of breast, prostate, ovarian and pancreatic cancers."I am excited about the addition of this research program to UPCI," said Ronald Herberman, M.D., director of UPCI and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Cancer Centers.

When a form of cancer that begins in the milk ducts of the breast invades neighboring tissue to spread to other parts of the body, the cause lies not in the tumor cells themselves but in a group of abnormal surrounding cells that cause the walls of the duct to deteriorate like a rusty pipe, according to a new study led by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute researchers.

Breast cancer patients who have a prior history of mood and anxiety disorders are at a much higher risk of experiencing posttraumatic stress disorder following their diagnosis, new research suggests.A study of 74 breast cancer patients at the Ohio State University Medical Center found that 16 percent of them (12 women) suffered from PTSD 18 months after diagnosis.

Scientists have made a significant discovery that clarifies a previously poorly understood key event in the progression of breast cancer. The research, published by Cell Press in the May issue of the journal Cancer Cell, highlights the importance of the microenvironment in regulating breast tumor progression and suggests that it may be highly beneficial to consider therapies that do not focus solely on the tumor cells but are also targeted to the surrounding tissues.

A preliminary analysis of ongoing research suggests that high-risk women with breast cancer who do not have a BRCA1/2 mutation may face a greater chance for developing a second breast cancer than previously thought.

Sunand Prasad, President of RIBA and Sarah Waller, Director of the Kings Fund's Enhancing Healthcare Environments Programme presented the British Holistic Medical Association (BHMA) Nutri Centre Good Practice Awards on 18th April at the University of Westminster. The competition was for buildings that reflect the ways architecture and interior design can support patients and staff in delivering holistic healthcare.

According to a recent study, led by Virginia Kaklamani, MD, an oncologist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and assistant professor of medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, variations of the adiponectin gene, which regulates a number of metabolic processes, may increase a woman's risk of developing breast cancer.

Cytori (NASDAQ:CYTX) received approval to begin its European stem and regenerative cell-enhanced breast reconstruction study in breast cancer patients who have undergone partial mastectomy. This is a post-market study designated as RESTORE II. Currently, there is no generally accepted reconstructive technique for partial mastectomy patients despite the fact that breast conserving therapy is standard practice in the treatment of women with breast cancer worldwide.

In a paper published recently, a team of medical researchers from the Mayo Clinic in collaboration with academic colleagues from Myriad Genetics Laboratories, the University of Utah, France, and Australia report on the outcome of a study that analyzes the risk for breast cancer imparted by inherited mutations in the BRCA2 gene. Mutations in the BRCA2 gene have been strongly linked to familial breast cancer.

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) announced that the European Medicines Agency's (EMEA) Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has issued a revised positive opinion confirming the positive benefit-risk profile for Tyverb® (lapatinib), GSK's new oral treatment for breast cancer. The positive opinion recommends grant of a conditional marketing authorisation.The CHMP previously issued a positive opinion for lapatinib in December 2007.

Taking aspirin on a daily basis may lower women's risk of a particular type of breast cancer, according to results published in BioMed Central's open access journal Breast Cancer Research. In this large study, aspirin use was linked to a small reduction in estrogen receptor-positive breast cancers. However, unlike in some previous research, aspirin and related painkillers were not found to reduce the total risk of breast cancer.

NIH, National Naval Medical Center, George Mason University study published in journal Cancer demonstrates importance of physicians' shift to baseline measures and ongoing 'surveillance' model for successful management of common, debilitating condition.

Provista Life Sciences LLC (PLS) announced it will file private insurance claims on behalf of women who take the BT Test™ and cover 100 percent of the test's cost not covered by insurance. The BT Test is a blood test that assists in the early detection of breast cancer. For women who do not wish to submit an insurance claim, the BT Test is now available at a cost of $295.

The preoperative assessment of breast cancer patients for subclinical lymphedema enables clinicians to establish a baseline, which serves to enable the early diagnosis and successful treatment of the debilitating condition, according to data from a five-year study published this week in the online edition of the journal Cancer.

Selecting Patients Based on Genotype May Increase Efficacy of TamoxifenBreast cancer patients who carry the wild-type gene required for tamoxifen metabolism may have comparable risk of recurrence when taking tamoxifen or an aromatase inhibitor, according to modeling data.Cytochrome P450 2D6 (CYP2D6) converts tamoxifen into its metabolically active form called endoxifen.

The lesson learned in eradicating dandelions from your yard could apply in treating breast cancer as well, said researchers from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston in a report that appears online in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute."It's not enough to kill the dandelion blossom and stalk that appear above ground," said Dr.

Kim Regenhard of RiverStone Journals announced she has introduced a unique guide to help women and their loved ones manage their breast cancer experience. A Survivor's Guide for the Breast Cancer Journey: An Organizer and Handbook for the Newly Diagnosed is a unique combination of planner, organizer and journal. A Survivor's Guide provides women with breast cancer a powerful tool to help manage the emotional, physical and logistical aspects of fighting breast cancer.

Peregrine Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: PPHM), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing monoclonal antibodies for the treatment of cancer and hepatitis C virus infection (HCV), announced that it has completed enrollment in the first stage of its Phase II trial of bavituximab in combination with chemotherapy in patients with advanced breast cancer.

Recently published data in The American Journal of Surgery by a group of surgeons from Legacy Good Samaritan Hospital in Portland, Oregon, demonstrates the value of using Breast-Specific Gamma Imaging (BSGI) for the clinical management of breast cancer patients.

Not a day goes by without a new story about the environment. Although we often consider the environment on a global scale, cells in our body also have to contend with environmental factors. New studies from a team of researchers from the Research Institute of the MUHC and McGill University show that the environment surrounding breast cancer cells plays a crucial role in determining whether tumor cells grow and migrate or whether they fade away.