Breast Cancer News and Research

Latest Breast Cancer News and Research

First patient enrolled in phase III study of Bevacizumab and Trastuzumab in early breast cancer

A new international study for women with HER2-positive breast cancer is open for enrollment. The pivotal BETH (BEvacizumab and Trastuzumab Adjuvant Therapy in HER2-positive Breast Cancer) study is a Phase III clinical research trial that is investigating the benefits of combining two monoclonal antibodies, the anti-angiogenic, bevacizumab (Avastin) and the targeted therapy trastuzumab (Herceptin), together with chemotherapy for the treatment of patients with early stage HER2-positive breast cancer.

27 May 2008

Blood cholesterol levels predict risk of heart disease due to hormone therapy

A new analysis of a subgroup of participants in the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) hormone therapy clinical trials suggests that healthy, postmenopausal women whose blood cholesterol levels are normal or lower are not at increased, short-term risk for heart attack when taking hormone therapy.

26 May 2008

Embryonic pathway delivers stem cell traits

Studies of how cancer cells spread have led to a surprising discovery about the creation of cells with adult stem cell characteristics, offering potentially major implications for regenerative medicine and for cancer treatment.

25 May 2008

Simple blood test could indicate higher risk for coronary events in women after post-menopausal hormone therapies

A research study has found that a simple blood test may indicate whether post-menopausal hormone therapies present an elevated risk of a heart attack.

22 May 2008

Unique genetic signature alerts physicians to high-risk breast tumors

A unique genetic signature can alert physicians to high-risk breast tumors that are masquerading as low-risk tumors, according to research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and collaborating institutions. Although these tumors are apparently estrogen-receptor positive - meaning they should depend on estrogen to grow - they don't respond well to anti-estrogen therapy.

21 May 2008

Confused about HRT? read on!

As if women are not confused enough about the pros and cons of hormone replacement therapy (HRT), an international group of experts now say safety issues regarding HRT have been "over hyped".

20 May 2008

Breast cancer gene a culprit in prostate cancer

Australian researchers have discovered that a mutated version of the BRCA-2 gene known to lead to breast and ovarian cancer, is also a culprit in prostate cancer in men.

20 May 2008

HRT safe for healthy women entering menopause

HRT in the early postmenopausal period is safe, and healthy women going through the first few years of the menopause who need HRT to relieve symptoms should have no fears about its use. This is the conclusion and clinical advice of the First Global Summit on Menopause-Related Issues, which was held in Zurich on March 29th and 30th, 2008.

20 May 2008

Reliable genetic tests could predict lung cancer recurrence

The goal of developing reliable genetic tests to guide lung cancer treatment has taken a step forward. Researchers at Columbia University recently evaluated the ability of five high-risk genetic profiles, or signatures, to predict the likelihood that cancer would recur in patients whose non-small cell lung cancer was caught early and surgically removed.

19 May 2008

Spectrum Pharmaceuticals to present data on Ortataxel in breast cancer at major oncology meeting

Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, Inc., will present Phase 2 data on ortataxel at the 44th American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting being held May 30 to June 3, 2008 at the McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago, Illinois.

19 May 2008

Nurse-administered prevention and management strategies can decrease incidence of lymphedema and improve quality of life in patients

A poster session presented by The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center at the Oncology Nurses Society 33rd Annual Congress, found that early nursing intervention and implementation of effective strategies can lead to a decrease in the incidence of lymphedema, better management of chronic lymphedema and improved quality of life in breast cancer patients.

19 May 2008

Length of telomeres in blood cells tied to breast cancer survival rates

Researchers at Umea University in Sweden have shown that the length of telomeres in blood cells in newly diagnosed breast cancer patients is tied to survival rates. The study, published in the journal Cancer Research, was carried out by a research team headed by Professor Goran Roos at the Department of Medical Bioscience, Pathology.

15 May 2008

Regular exercise for young women can reduce their risk of breast cancer

The latest research on breast cancer is good news, it says that regular exercise can reduce the risk.

15 May 2008

Molecular clock could predict risk for developing breast cancer

A chemical reaction in genes that control breast cancer provides a molecular clock that could one day help researchers more accurately determine a woman's risk for developing breast cancer and provide a new approach for treatment, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have found.

15 May 2008

Supplemental breast ultrasound boosts cancer detection, radiologist reports in national study

Among women at high-risk of developing breast cancer, breast ultrasound combined with mammography may detect more cancers than mammography alone, according to results of a multicenter trial that included UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers.

13 May 2008

Simple, painless hair test detects breast cancer

A test developed by Australian scientists which promises to be able to pick up breast cancer from a hair sample, could be commercially available later this year.

13 May 2008

Australian scientists warn, to avoid cancer keep alcohol to a minimum

Research conducted by scientists at the Cancer Institute has revealed that drinking two units of alcohol on a daily basis significantly increases the risks of developing breast, bowel, throat and mouth cancer.

11 May 2008

Previously unseen switch regulates breast cancer response to estrogen

A tiny modification called methylation on estrogen receptors prolongs the life of these growth-driving molecules in breast cancer cells, according to research by scientists at Emory University's Winship Cancer Institute.

8 May 2008

Skin flaps deliver cancer-fighting therapy

Using gene therapy, plastic surgeons have delivered cancer fighting proteins through skin flaps placed on cancerous tumors on rats with a 79 percent reduction in tumor volume, according to a study in the May issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).

8 May 2008

Breast cancer tumours grow faster in younger women

A new approach to estimating tumour growth based on breast screening results from almost 400,000 women is published in BioMed Central's open access journal, Breast Cancer Research.

8 May 2008