The FDA approves a combination of drugs for breast cancer. Source: U.S. Food & Drug Administration. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death among women.
The FDA approves a combination of drugs for breast cancer
Source: U.S. Food & Drug Administration Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death among women. An estimated 192,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year. Not all breast cancers are the same, however. Some breast cancers are hormone positive meaning that the presence of certain hormones (estrogen for example) contributes to [...]
Mammography recommendation, retraction?
Source: Associated Press; The Wall Street Journal It seems like just last week (okay so it was 3 weeks ago) that I was blogging on the newly announced recommendations relative to mammography. I also suggested that there were larger forces at work behind such things as US Preventative Services Task Force recommendations which surface during [...]
Mammography here we go again!
Source: US Department of Health and Human Services November 2009 Release The US Preventative Services Task Force has released the latest (11/2009) recommendations for Breast Cancer Screening. Were I a woman or performing breast self-examination (BSE) on, well myself, I'd be confused. The Task Force has un-recommended (hey if "un-friend" is now a word, this [...]
I seem to be on a breast theme here, but…
Source: BBC Health, Radiological Society of North America In what might simply represent serendipitous reporting, a study of approximately 1000 women at a private London Hospital has found that women living in the city had denser breast tissue. The significance of this is that recent research (see previous post) suggests that women with denser breast [...]
Cancer recurrence linked to breast density
Source: Cancer (the journal, not the disease); Cancer Research UK Women jealous of their neighbor's firm breasts? Well, here's good reason not to be. A 10 year study of women cancer patients in Canada (that odd country North of the US) reveals that women with dense breasts are 4x more likely to have a recurrence [...]
Breast Cancer changes as it spreads
Source: BBC Health; Annals of Oncology UK researchers in Edinburgh (Scotland for you geographically challenged) have determined that up to 40% of breast cancer tumors actually change form as they metastasize (spread). The analysis of 211 tumors which spread from the breast to lymph nodes in the armpits, a common occurrence, demonstrated surprising results. 20 [...]
Meat, Eggs, Dairy –Apparently do NOT Increase Risk of Breast Cancer
Okay, were I a woman, I'd be pissed. As a fan of women, I'm pissed on your behalf. Not only have you been told to refrain from red meat, eggs and dairy products (milk and cheeses) depriving your collective selves of wonderful and yummy animal proteins rich in amino acids, iron and calcium (something most [...]
Hormone Therapy and Breast Cancer
Source: The Wall Street Journal and USA Today It is commonly accepted that hormone replacement therapy, while important, increasesthe risk of breast cancer in women. Recently published research suggests, however, that the risk of breast cancer drops significantly within 2 years of ending hormone replacement. The lead author of a study published in the New [...]
Concerns over Breast Cancer Surgery
Source: British Medical Journal, 2/20/2009, Editorial: Minimally invasive surgery for breast cancer Dr. Monica Morrow, Chief of the Breast Cancer Service at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in NY, has raised concerns that for the past 30 years, surgery has been increasingly devoted to improving cosmetic outcomes. Her concern is that failure to demand rigorous evaluation [...]
The Case of Mrs. C -breast cancer delay
Our Case:*Mrs. C, a young woman in her late 40's, found a lump in her right breast during self-examination. Relying upon her doctor, Dr. A, an "expert" in breast surgery and diagnosis of breast cancer, she underwent examination and mammography. Dr. A informed Mrs. C that mammography and examination did not show a lump. He [...]