Breast Cancer News and Research

Latest Breast Cancer News and Research

New gene called DEAR1 may be a breast cancer diagnostic marker

In a research article published in this week's PLoS Medicine, Ann Killary (from the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center) and colleagues describe a new gene called DEAR1 that is genetically altered by mutation and deletion in breast tumors, and that may provide a new breast cancer prognostic marker.

4 May 2009

Disparities in breast cancer outcomes continue to exist for African-American women

New research published in the May issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons shows that dramatic disparities in breast cancer outcomes continue to exist for African-American women, regardless of the age at which they are diagnosed, extent of the cancer, type of treatment or socioeconomic status.

4 May 2009

Women more vulnerable to tobacco carcinogens than men

According to researchers in Switzerland women are more vulnerable to tobacco carcinogens than men.

3 May 2009

Women more vulnerable to the cancer-causing effects of smoking tobacco

Women may be more vulnerable than men to the cancer-causing effects of smoking tobacco, according to new results reported this week at the European Multidisciplinary Conference in Thoracic Oncology (EMCTO), Lugano, Switzerland.

3 May 2009

RNA production revs up during cell-to-cell contact

MicroRNAs are single-stranded snippets that, not long ago, were given short shrift as genetic junk. Now that studies have shown they regulate genes involved in normal functioning as well as diseases such as cancer, everyone wants to know: What regulates microRNAs?

3 May 2009

Smoking, hypertension and BMI are the leading preventable risk factors for premature mortality in the U.S.

The researchers found that smoking is responsible for 467,000 premature deaths each year, high blood pressure for 395,000, and being overweight for 216,000. The effects of smoking work out to be about one in five deaths in American adults, while high blood pressure is responsible for one in six deaths.

30 Apr 2009

Gene alterations associated with response to anthracycline therapy for breast cancer

Alterations in the topoisomerase II alpha (TOP2A) gene were associated with better patient outcomes following anthracycline-based therapy compared with non-anthracycline-based regimens, according to a study in the April 28 online issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

30 Apr 2009

A potentially better option to blocks tumors

On the heels of dismaying reports that a promising antitumor drug could, in theory, shorten patients' long-term survival, comes a promising study by a Japanese team of researchers that suggests a potentially better option.

30 Apr 2009

Amount of breast water could be linked to the risk of breast cancer

A unique mother-daughter study that used magnetic resonance to measure breast density in younger women shows that percent of breast water could be linked to the risk of breast cancer in middle age and older.

29 Apr 2009

New cancer centre launched in Southampton

Southampton joins a unique chain of Cancer Research UK Centres that are being launched across the UK.

29 Apr 2009

Aspirin for forty somethings could cut cancer risk

Taking aspirin in your 40s could cut the risk of cancer developing later in life, according to research published in the Lancet Oncology.

29 Apr 2009

Nanoscopic 'pearl necklaces' track and attack cancer cells

A team of investigators at Purdue University has developed nanoscale probes that can help pinpoint the location of tumors and might one day be able to directly attack cancer cells.

27 Apr 2009

New Federal Government rules on cancer treatment unfair

Critics say new measures proposed by the Australian Federal Government, due to come into force in July this year, will mean an end to Government subsidies for leftover cancer drugs - worth about $26 million a year - are unfair to both patients and pharmacists.

27 Apr 2009

Cancer incidence, mortality, treatment and survival in Ireland

Survival rates for cancer are continuing to rise even though the number of cases being diagnosed is increasing, an all-Ireland report reveals.

26 Apr 2009

Scientists improve immune response to cancer

A team of scientists at The Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research (CFIBCR) at Princess Margaret Hospital and international collaborators have discovered how to trigger an improved immune response to cancer that could be included in new clinical trials that use a patient's own cells to destroy tumours.

26 Apr 2009

Study links arm/hand swelling to number of lymph nodes removed during breast cancer surgery

In older breast cancer survivors, the number of lymph nodes removed during surgery and the presence of cancer in the lymph nodes were the two factors most directly linked to the development of lymphedema, swelling of the arm and hand, according to a study from the Medical College of Wisconsin's Center for Patient Care and Outcomes Research in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

23 Apr 2009

Radiation device in the breast reduces complications for early stage breast cancer patients

A new study shows that the SAVI™ applicator, a small, expandable device inserted inside the breast to deliver partial breast irradiation, carries a low infection risk, a potential complication of such devices.

23 Apr 2009

Breast elastography allows for a more accurate diagnosis of breast cancer

Breast elastography allows physicians to give a more accurate diagnosis of breast cancer, according to a study performed at Singapore General Hospital in Singapore.

23 Apr 2009

New MR procedure may help save women from unnecessary breast biopsies

A new MR procedure that uses diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) to determine whether or not a breast lesion is malignant or benign may help reduce unnecessary breast biopsies, according to a study performed at the National Institute of Health in Bethesda, MD.

23 Apr 2009

Breast density easily determined with new computer algorithm

A new computerized assessment has been developed that can help physicians objectively assess a patient's breast density and monitor it over time to detect any alarming changes that may suggest cancer, according to a study evaluating this technology that was performed at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD.

23 Apr 2009