Mastectomy News and Research

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Mastectomy is surgery to remove the breast (or as much of the breast tissue as possible).

Pathway Genomics to provide genetic testing for BRCA gene linked to breast, ovarian cancers

Pathway Genomics led the evening news Friday with an announcement that it could begin offering affordable access to genetic testing for the BRCA gene linked to breast and ovarian cancers in the wake of a Supreme Court ruling that eliminated another company's monopoly on the test.

15 Jun 2013

In unanimous decision, Supreme Court justices rule genes can't be patented

The decision was applauded by many researchers and drew speculation that it could likely boost patient care. Meanwhile, the stock of Myriad Genetics tumbled after the court's finding invalidated the company's hold on testing for two breast cancer genes.

15 Jun 2013

Black women with breast cancer experience treatment delays, new study finds

Black women with breast cancer are more likely than Hispanic or white women to experience delays in the initiation of chemotherapy or radiation after surgery, finds a new study in Health Services Research.

13 Jun 2013

Genetic testing for cancer-causing mutations in affected families is very low, study finds

A new study of the use of genetic testing for cancer-causing mutations in affected families in France has found that its take-up is very low.

10 Jun 2013

Thomson Reuters announces this year's Hottest Researchers

The Intellectual Property & Science business of Thomson Reuters today announced this year's Hottest Researchers, a ranking of the most influential scientific researchers and research papers on ScienceWatch, the open web resource for science metrics and analysis.

5 Jun 2013

MU researcher examines how stories influence decision-making among patients

Stories often appear in health communication in order to encourage individuals to change behaviors, such as smoking or not wearing sunscreen. A University of Missouri researcher studied how stories influence patients' decision-making when behavior change is not the desired outcome of the health communication.

5 Jun 2013

African-American women carry inherited genetic mutations that increase their risk for breast cancer

A high percentage of African-American women with breast cancer who were evaluated at a university cancer-risk clinic were found to carry inherited genetic mutations that increase their risk for breast cancer.

4 Jun 2013

Renowned pathologist warns about possible consequences of silicone use in breast reconstruction

The public and the press were electrified in early May when superstar actress and filmmaker Angelina Jolie announced in a New York Times opinion piece that she had received a double mastectomy and follow-up breast reconstruction. Renowned pathologist Rahim Karjoo M.D ., F.C.A.P., F.A.S.C.P., is an expert in the diagnosis and treatment of Morgellons disease, an illness that is little known or acknowledged in the mainstream medical community.

1 Jun 2013

Study: Young women with breast cancer often choose mastectomy over surgical procedure

A new study of young women with breast cancer has found that most chose to have a mastectomy rather than a surgical procedure that would conserve the breast, researchers will report at the 49th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, May 31-June 4, in Chicago.

31 May 2013

Researchers analyze risk factors for fat necrosis in women undergoing breast reconstruction

For women undergoing breast reconstruction after mastectomy, the weight of the tissue flap used affects the risk of an important complication called fat necrosis, reports a study in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery—Global Open, the official open-access medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

30 May 2013

Taking blood thinners before minor procedures safe for stroke patients

Many patients who have experienced strokes or mini strokes take blood thinners such as aspirin or warfarin (Coumadin) to reduce the risk of blood clots that can cause strokes.

30 May 2013

Weekend reading: Mental illness stigma, health insurance mazes and female libido

Linneah sat at a desk at the Center for Sexual Medicine at Sheppard Pratt in the suburbs of Baltimore and filled out a questionnaire. She read briskly, making swift checks beside her selected answers, and when she was finished, she handed the pages across the desk to Martina Miller, who gave her a round of pills.

24 May 2013

Viewpoints: Slowing health costs; What causes genetic testing to be so expensive; Iowa governor offers Medicaid supports a 'glimmer of hope'

We have done it. We have decreased the increase in the cost of healthcare. ... Is this decline the desperately needed bend in the healthcare cost curve or just the impact of the depressed economy? ... A slower growth of healthcare cost would mean less burden on the individual family, freeing that family to invest in and live a higher quality of life.

22 May 2013

Viewpoints: Sebelius' 'ethical line'; As tricky phase of health law approaches, concerns about exchanges opening on time

One of the biggest questions hanging over the health-care system is how many young Americans will sign up for coverage once the Affordable Care Act begins to phase in this October. If too few buy insurance on the markets that the government is creating, insurance companies would be stuck covering primarily the old and the sick. They would have to pay out more per customer.

21 May 2013

Viewpoints: Health law's effect on patient safety; Angelina Jolie's surgery is the ultimate 'choice'

Much of the discussion over the Affordable Care Act has focused on whether it will bring down health care costs. Less attention has been paid to another goal of the act: improving patient safety. Each year tens of thousands of people die, and hundreds of thousands more are injured, as a result of medical error (Joanna C. Schwartz, 5/16).

18 May 2013

Women with family history of cancer need to have proper counseling, testing

In the wake of actress Angelina Jolie's public announcement that she recently underwent a preventive double mastectomy, Loma Linda University Medical Center urges women with a family history of cancer to have proper counseling and testing, if indicated, to see if they are at similar risk.

17 May 2013

Viewpoints: Controversy taints IRS efforts on health law; Another chance to 'gut' the overhaul in the courts; Salt wrongly accused

Even as the politicized tax enforcement scandal expands, the Internal Revenue Service continues to expand its political powers thanks to the Affordable Care Act. A larger government always creates more openings for abuse, as Americans will learn when the IRS starts auditing their health care in addition to their 1040 next year (5/14).

16 May 2013

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