October 2009 Research News
Researchers Question Value of Regular Screening Mammograms
October 21, 2009
A new study questions the value of regular screening mammograms; Breastcancer.org continues to believe the current recommendations make sense. Read more...
Women Who Choose Mastectomy Have Good Reasons for Choice
October 13, 2009
While greater numbers of women are choosing mastectomy instead of lumpectomy followed by radiation therapy to treat early-stage breast cancer, research suggests that these women have good reasons for their choice. Read more...
Radiation Therapy During, After Surgery Offer Same Cosmetic Results
October 13, 2009
Early results show that intraoperative radiation therapy and traditional external beam radiation therapy offer similar cosmetic results. Read more...
Three Types of Partial Breast Irradiation Have Similar Outcomes
October 13, 2009
Research shows that three alternatives to traditional external beam radiation therapy are all equally effective at lowering the risk of recurrence and offer the same benefits as traditional radiation therapy. Read more...
Younger Women More Likely to Have DCIS Recurrence
October 12, 2009
A new study suggests that younger women (under 45) who have lumpectomy and radiation therapy to treat DCIS are more likely to have the breast cancer come back (recurrence) compared to older women who had the same treatment. Read more...
Abnormal Cells Found in 10% of Women Having Breast Reduction Surgery
October 12, 2009
A new study found that nearly 10% of 444 women who had surgery to reduce the size of their breasts had abnormal looking cells in the breast tissue that was removed. Read more...
Breast Cancer Diagnosed Earlier in Families with Abnormal Gene
October 12, 2009
The age at which breast cancer is being diagnosed in families with an abnormal breast cancer gene seems to be getting younger, according to a new study. Read more...
Tween Girls Have Breast Cancer Fears and Misunderstand Risk
October 12, 2009
A study done by Dr. Marisa Weiss, president and founder of Breastcancer.org, found that teen and pre-teen ("tween") girls have breast cancer fears and misunderstand the risk of breast cancer for themselves and their mothers. Read more...
Women at Risk for Heart Problems After Breast Cancer Treatment
October 9, 2009
A small study shows that the risk of a serious heart problem, such as a stroke or heart attack, often is the same or greater than the risk of breast cancer recurrence. Read more...
Herceptin Helps Treat Early-Stage, HER2-Positive Cancers
October 9, 2009
New research shows that Herceptin (chemical name: trastuzumab) offers benefits to women diagnosed with HER2-positive, early-stage breast cancer with a low risk of recurrence. Read more...
Taxanes Only Reduce Recurrence Risk for Certain Types of Breast Cancer
October 8, 2009
Research shows that taxanes (a type of chemotherapy medicine) reduce the risk of recurrence of only certain types of breast cancer, so using taxanes to treat the other types of disease doesn't offer any real benefits. Read more...
Research Finds Breast Cancer Cells Continue to Mutate
October 8, 2009
After analyzing cells from both metastatic breast cancer and the original cancer that was diagnosed 9 years earlier, scientists found that the cancer cells continued to evolve and mutate over time. Read more...
Risk of Dying from Breast Cancer Higher for Women Who Don’t Get Regular Mammograms
October 7, 2009
Research reinforces the value of mammograms: women who don't get regular mammograms are more likely to die from the disease after diagnosis. Read more...
Lymph Node Ultrasound Before Surgery Can Help Find Cancer Spread
October 6, 2009
Ultrasound of underarm lymph nodes can determine if cancer has spread to those lymph nodes in some cases. Read more...
Low Levels of CYP2D6 Enzyme Affect Tamoxifen’s Effectiveness
October 6, 2009
Tamoxifen isn't as effective in women diagnosed with early-stage, hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer who make very little or no CYP2D6 enzyme compared to women with higher CYP2D6 levels. Read more...
Regular, Vigorous Exercise Reduces Risk for Postmenopausal Women
October 1, 2009
A new study suggests that regular moderate- to high-intensity exercise, but not lower-intensity exercise, is associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer in post-menopausal women. Read more...