February 2008 Research News
New Study Compares Tykerb and Herceptin
February 29, 2008
A new clinical trial will try to find out whether using Herceptin (chemical name: trastuzumab) alone, Tykerb (chemical name: lapatinib) alone, or both medicines together is better for women diagnosed with stage I or stage II HER2-positive breast cancer. Read more...
Stem Cell Therapy May Increase Risk Later in Life
February 28, 2008
A new study shows that women who received a certain type of stem cell therapy and total body radiation have a higher risk of developing breast cancer later in life. Read more...
Women with Abnormal BRCA1 Gene Need Mammogram and MRI Screening
February 26, 2008
Women who have an abnormal BRCA1 gene get more benefits from annual breast cancer screening with BOTH mammogram and MRI, but they also have more false-positive results. Read more...
Detecting Breast Cancer More Difficult in Women Taking Hormone Replacement Therapy
February 25, 2008
Taking combination HRT (hormone replacement therapy) makes it more likely that a woman will have an abnormal mammogram and can make routine screening mammograms harder to read. Read more...
Diets High in Starchy Foods Linked to Higher Risk of Breast, Ovarian Cancer
February 21, 2008
A new study on diet patterns links starchy diets to a higher risk of breast and ovarian cancer. Read more...
Aromatase Inhibitors Increase Risk of Heart Problems
February 19, 2008
A new study adds to the evidence showing differences in side effects between aromatase inhibitors and tamoxifen. Read more...
Avastin Approved to Treat Breast Cancer
February 25, 2008
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Avastin (chemical name: bevacizumab) to treat metastatic breast cancer. Read more...
X-Raying Hair May Help Detect Breast Cancer
February 15, 2008
A very small study has found that x-rays detect a unique pattern in the hair of women diagnosed with breast cancer. Read more...
Breast Cancer Risk Higher in Smokers with Slow-Acting NAT2 Gene
February 14, 2008
Smoking can increase breast cancer risk in women with a slowing-acting form of the gene NAT2, which is fairly common in white and African American women. Read more...
Time Between First Period and First Child Linked to Breast Cancer Risk
February 14, 2008
A longer the time between when a woman starts having periods and when her first child is born is associated with a higher risk of breast cancer. Read more...
DCIS Recurrence Risk Overestimated by Many Women
February 12, 2008
Many women overestimate the risk of DCIS coming back. Read more...
Women More Likely to Die from Cause Other Than Breast Cancer
February 12, 2008
Older women with hormone-receptor-positive early breast cancer are more likely to die from something other than breast cancer. Read more...
Amount of Risk Reduction from Protective Ovary Removal Depends on Type of BRCA Abnormality
February 12, 2008
The amount of breast and ovarian cancer risk reduction offered by prophylactic ovary removal varies depending on the type of breast cancer gene abnormality a woman has. Read more...
About 5% of Websites Have Inaccurate Breast Cancer Information
February 11, 2008
A new study finds that while most breast cancer information on the Internet is accurate, web pages on complementary medicine are more likely to contain errors. Read more...
Psoriasis Doesn’t Increase Cancer Risk
February 8, 2008
People diagnosed with psoriasis do not have a higher risk of breast and other cancers. Read more...
Measuring Levels of Specific Protein Doesn’t Help Decide Who Benefits from Chemotherapy
February 1, 2008
Measuring the Ki-67 protein in breast cancers doesn't help decide who would benefit from chemotherapy in women diagnosed with hormone-receptor-positive, node-negative disease. Read more...