March 2008 Research News
Minority Women Less Likely to Understand Comparisons Between Mastectomy, Lumpectomy
March 31, 2008
A new study suggests that about half of the women having surgery for early-stage breast cancer don't understand how mastectomy compares to lumpectomy and radiation therapy in terms of reducing the risk of the cancer coming back. Read more...
Man’s Physical Health Affects Woman’s Emotional Health More When One Partner Diagnosed with Cancer
March 31, 2008
People diagnosed with cancer and their caregivers affect each other's emotional and physical health. Read more...
Older Women, Minorities Less Likely to Get Sentinel Node Biopsy
March 26, 2008
Whether or not a woman has sentinal lymph node biopsy seems to be largely influenced by her age, ethnicity, and insurance status, and not by the relevant disease factors, new research shows. Read more...
Taking Hormone Replacement Therapy Increases Recurrence Risk in Survivors
March 25, 2008
Hormone replacement therapy seems to significantly increase the risk of breast cancer coming back. Read more...
Open Discussion About Breast Cancer Family History Leads to Better Understanding of Genetic Testing
March 19, 2008
If a family openly discusses breast cancer and who in the family has been diagnosed, then the women in the family know more about genetic counseling and testing and are more likely to use these services if they're appropriate. Read more...
Less Frequent, Higher Dose Radiation Therapy Seems Just as Good as Traditional Regimen
March 19, 2008
New research shows that a shorter, but more intensive, course of radiation therapy may be just as effective as current treatment plans for women diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer. Read more...
Regular Exercise Reduces Risk
March 18, 2008
A new study offers more evidence that regular exercise, either at moderate or high intensity, can help reduce breast cancer risk for women, no matter their weight, family history, or menopausal status. Read more...
Eating Cruciferous Vegetables Linked to Lower Breast Cancer Risk
March 17, 2008
Researchers have found a possible link between cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, etc.) and lower breast cancer risk, particularly in women who have a specific variant of the GSTP1 gene. Read more...
Overweight Women More Likely to be Diagnosed with Aggressive Breast Cancer with Worse Prognosis March 14, 2008
A new study shows that obese and overweight women had lower breast cancer survival rates and a greater likelihood of being diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer compared to women of a healthy weight. Read more...
Mouse Study Finds Gene That Signals Breast Cancer to Grow and Spread
March 12, 2008
Researchers have found a gene in mice that appears to trigger the spread of mouse breast cancer cells. Read more...
Women Treated for Thyroid Cancer Have Higher Risk of Breast Cancer
March 12, 2008
Thyroid cancer treatment seems to increase the risk of developing a new, second cancer in another part of the body. Read more...
Drinking Alcohol While Taking Hormone Replacement Therapy Increases Risk
March 11, 2008
Drinking alcohol while taking hormone replacement therapy (HRT) dramatically increases breast risk, according to a Danish study. Read more...
Link Between Risk, Anti-Inflammatory Medicines Unclear
March 10, 2008
A review of research results suggests an association between nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) medicines and breast cancer risk. Read more...
Yoga of Awareness Helps Ease Hot Flashes
March 10, 2008
A small study found that a particular yoga program helped ease menopausal symptoms in women treated for early-stage breast cancer. Read more...
Femara After Five Years of Tamoxifen Reduces Recurrence Risk
March 11, 2008
Taking the aromatase inhibitor Femara (chemical name: letrozole) after taking tamoxifen for 5 years reduced the risk of the breast cancer coming back (recurrence), compared to not taking Femara after tamoxifen, even when Femara was started up to 7 years after tamoxifen. Read more...
Herceptin with Dose-Dense Chemo Reduces Risk of Heart Problems
March 7, 2008
A small study has found that when Herceptin (chemical name: trastuzumab) was given in combination with dose-dense chemotherapy, the risk of heart problems from Herceptin was lower than when Herceptin was given with a routine schedule of chemotherapy. Read more...
Study Suggests Link Between Gestational Diabetes and Lower Risk
March 7, 2008
A new study has found a possible link between breast cancer risk reduction and gestational diabetes. Read more...
High Estrogen Levels May Lead to Recurrence
March 6, 2008
Women diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer that came back (recurred) had higher blood estrogen levels than women diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer that didn't come back. Read more...
Women’s Health Initiative Study Suggests Women Who Took Combination Hormone Replacement Therapy Have Higher Risk of Breast Cancer
March 4, 2008
Results from the Women's Health Initiative show that women who took combination hormone replacement therapy (HRT) were more likely to be diagnosed with breast and lung cancer after they quit taking the HRT than women who got a placebo. Read more...