Canada's new Breast Cancer Awareness 25 cent coin

Winnipeg Sun, March 31, 2006
It's a light pink swirl meant to engrave breast cancer in the minds of a nation. The Royal Canadian Mint announced its second coloured circulation coin this week, a 25-cent piece engraved with the disease's symbolic pink ribbon on its reverse side. Manon Laplante, executive director of Canadian Circulation Coins, hopes the pocket-sized reminder will raise awareness of the disease. The Canadian Cancer Society expected breast cancer to kill 5,300 Canadian women in 2005. "The public will touch these every single day," said Laplante after a Winnipeg media preview at the mint earlier this week. "This is the best way to communicate with Canadians." --Click the title of this post to read the full article from its source--

New cancer drug may end hair loss side effects

BBC, March 31, 2006
A new device for cancer patients could end the side effects of chemotherapy such as hair loss and vomiting, researchers say. The revolutionary new method uses an implant made of tiny fibres and beads soaked in chemotherapy drugs. The device...dissolves internally, releasing the chemotherapy chemicals directly into the cancer site. --Click the title of this post to read the full article from its source--

B Vitamins Inhibit Breast Cancer

Natural Products Industry Insider, March 30, 2006
Consumption of folate and vitamin B12 are inversely related to risk of breast cancer, according to a population-based case-control study held in Mexico (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev, 15, 3:443-8, 2006). Researchers from the Instituto Nacional de Salud Publica and Botston's Harvard School of Public Health and Medical School interviewed 475 women aged 23 to 87 years (median age, 53 years) diagnosed with incident breast cancer to obtain data on breast cancer risk factors and gathered data on their usual diet using a food frequency questionnaire. --Click the title of this post to read the full article from its source--

Pain Killer Fights Breast Cancer By Targeting Key Enzyme

WebWire, March 28, 2006
A pain–killing medication appears to halt the production of an enzyme that is key to a common form of breast cancer, a new study using tissue cultures suggests. The drug is called nimesulide. In laboratory experiments on breast cancer cells, scientists found that derivatives of nimesulide stopped the production of aromatase, the enzyme implicated in estrogen-dependent breast cancer. This form of breast cancer is the most common kind of breast cancer in postmenopausal women. Aromatase converts hormones called androgens into estrogens, such as the hormone estradiol. Estrogen is a powerful mitogen – an agent that causes cells to divide, and too much estrogen can cause cells to divide too quickly. --Click the title of this post to read the full article from its source--

Protein linked to spread of cancer identified

Independent Online (via Reuters), March 28, 2006
Scientists have identified and blocked the action of a protein linked to the spread of breast, prostate and skin cancer cells to the bones.The molecule called RANKL is produced in bone marrow. In studies of mice, researchers from Austria and Canada showed that inhibiting the protein could stop the cancerous cells from migrating to the bones."RANKL is a protein which tells tumour cells to come to it," said Professor Josef Penninger, of the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna."It sits on the bones and when tumour cells circulate in the body then RANKL attracts them into the bones." --Click the title of this post to read the full article from its source--

History of Violence is Prevalent in Cancer Patients

DGDispatch, March 28, 2006
Nearly half of women undergoing treatment for gynecological cancers at a university clinic reported a history of physical or sexual violence, researchers noted here at the 37th Annual Meeting of the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists (SGO). Of 101 women screened for violence in the study, 26 had breast cancer and 25 each had cancer of the ovary, endometrium, and cervix. A total of 49 patients (49%) reported a history of at least 1 episode of violence during childhood or adulthood, including 27 (55%) with a history of sexual violence. --Click the title of this post to read the full article from its source--

Hormone Replacement Therapy Does Not Affect Breast Cancer Hormone Receptor Status

DGDispatch, March 28, 2006
Although the role of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in breast cancer risk has been hotly debated, breast cancer hormone receptor status appears not to be affected by type or duration of exogenous hormone use, according to research presented here at the annual meeting of the Society of Surgical Oncology (SSO)..."In this large HMO population of breast cancer patients -- prior use of HRT independent of dose and duration -- did not appear to affect type of cancer developed, alone or in combination," said lead author Anjali Kumar, MD. --Click the title of this post to read the full article from its source--

New contraceptive pill could CUT breast cancer risk

Times Online, March 27, 2006
A new contraceptive pill that can cut the risk of breast cancer could be on the market in the next five years, scientists said today. The pill works by stopping periods and could signal an end to the symptoms of pre-menstrual tension. It could also help women suffering from conditions like endometriosis and cut the risk of thrombosis in those who are older, overweight and who smoke. --Click the title of this post to read the full article from its source--

Preschool diet linked to later breast cancer risk

Reuters, March 27, 2006
The diet of preschoolers may influence the risk of breast cancer during adulthood, according to a Boston-based group of investigators...The findings are published in the February issue of the International Journal of Cancer. Women who frequently consumed French fries at preschool age had an increased risk of breast cancer. The increased risk of breast cancer for one additional serving of French fries per week was 27 percent. Consumption of whole milk was linked to a slightly decreased breast cancer risk -- for each additional glass of whole milk per day, the risk decreased by 10 percent. No association was found between nutrient levels and the risk of breast cancer. --Click the title of this post to read the full article from its source--

Study: Lifting Weights Benefits Breast Cancer Survivors

Fox News (via Associated Press), March 27, 2006
Weightlifting appears to improve breast cancer survivors' outlook on life, suggests one of the first studies to scientifically measure the effects of such exercise. About 80 percent of women who took up twice-a-week weight-training saw improved scores on a quality-of-life survey, researchers said, in a study to be published in an upcoming issue of the journal Cancer. --Click the title of this post to read the full article from its source--

Women With Breast Cancer Who Choose Preventive Mastectomies Don't Regret The Decision

Medical News Today, March 21, 2006
Most women with cancer in one breast who decide to have the unaffected breast removed along with the diseased breast don't regret the decision and have a quality of life equal to patients who didn't have a preventive mastectomy, according to a survey ofbreast cancer survivors. "A large majority of women were satisfied with their decisions to have the preventive mastectomy in addition to their primary breast cancer treatment," said Ann Geiger, Ph.D., lead author, from Wake Forest University School of Medicine. "And women who had the preventive mastectomy were equally content with their quality of life as women who didn't." --Click the title of this post to read the full article from its source--

Breast size differences 'reveal risk of cancer'

The Scotsman, March 20, 2006
Women whose breasts are not of equal size and shape are more likely to develop cancer, according to a new study. Researchers examined the breast X-rays, known as mammograms, of more than 500 women, half of whom went on to develop breast cancer and half who did not. They found that the women who suffered cancer had less-symmetrical breasts than those who were disease-free. The team, from the University of Liverpool, said breast symmetry may be an important indicator of a woman's risk of breast cancer. --Click the title of this post to read the full article from its source--

Study Links Dairy Products to Moderate Breast Cancer Risk Reduction

American Cancer Society, March 17, 2006
A new American Cancer Society study finds low fat dairy products may reduce the risk of postmenopausal breast cancer, supporting the hypothesis that dietary calcium and/or some other components in dairy products may reduce the risk of the disease. The study found women who consumed two or more servings of dairy products per day had up to 20 percent lower risk of postmenopausal breast cancer compared to women with the lowest consumption of dairy products. The association was slightly stronger among women with estrogen-receptor positive tumors, the most common type. --Click the title of this post to read the full article from its source--

Women can help to find cancer causes: Study looks for volunteers

Poughkeepsie Journal, March 19, 2006
Local women whose sisters have or had breast cancer can help make a difference in the fight against the disease by joining the Sister Study, a nationwide effort to find the causes of breast cancer. Conducted by the National Institute of Environmental Health, a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the 10-year Sister Study is designed to help researchers explore how women's genes and things they come in contact with may influence breast cancer risk. --Click the title of this post to read the full article from its source--

Open Clinical Study: Massage Therapy for Breast Cancer Treatment-Related Swelling of the Arms

CoomunityDispatch, March 19, 2006
This study is currently recruiting patients. The purpose of this study is to examine the short-term and long-term efficacy of massage therapy alone compared to massage therapy plus compression bandaging in the treatment of breast cancer treatment-related swelling of the arms and legs. --Click the title of this post to read the full article from its source--

Ginseng Appears to Help Breast Cancer Patients

Jeff Minerd, MedPage Today, March 16, 2006
The traditional Chinese herb ginseng may improve survival and enhance the quality of life of breast cancer patients, an observational study suggested. Compared with those who never used ginseng, breast cancer patients in China who took it regularly before their diagnosis had a disease-specific mortality that was 30% lower three to four years later, said Xiao-Ou Shu, M.D., Ph.D., and colleagues, of the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center here. Her study, published online by the American Journal of Epidemiology, included 1,455 breast cancer patients from Shanghai, diagnosed between 1996 and 1998. All received at least one type of conventional therapy-surgery, chemotherapy, or radiotherapy. Information on ginseng use was obtained at enrollment and during follow-up interviews from 2000 to 2002.
NOTE: The results of this study would need to be confirmed by a randomized clinical trial before ginseng could be considered as an effective adjunct to standard breast cancer therapy. Please also note that ginseng may have side effects and interact with prescription drugs. --Click the title of this post to read the full article from its source--

Pink NHL shots to aid cancer fight

London Free Press, March 16, 2006
Hockey fans will see pink on the rink this weekend when dozens of NHL players swap their regular sticks for rose-coloured ones to honour hockey moms and raise money for breast cancer research. Among the players who will use the pink sticks, courtesy of TPS hockey, are former London Knights stars Rick Nash and Dan Fritsche of the Columbus Blue Jackets. --Click the title of this post to read the full article from its source--

High Carb Diets May Raise Breast Cancer Risk

Online - International News Network, March 12, 2006
Diets that have a high "glycemic index" -- that is, they produce high blood sugar levels -- may increase the risk of breast cancer among postmenopausal women who’ve used hormone replacement therapy (HRT), study results suggest. The link may be stronger among those who do not engage in vigorous physical activity. Typically, high glycemic index diets include a lot of sugars and refined starches and carbohydrates, which produce a rapid rise in blood glucose levels. --Click the title of this post to read the full article from its source--

Guideline Writers Reject Partial Breast Irradiation for Breast Cancer

DGDispatch, March 13, 2006
New guidelines for breast cancer treatment relegate the use of partial breast irradiation -- a procedure in which intensive, short-term radiation is concentrated in the tumor bed -- to an experimental status."Partial breast irradiation should only be performed as part of a high quality prospective clinical trial," said Benjamin Anderson, MD, Director of the Breast Health Center at the University of Washington."Whole breast irradiation with boost (by photons, brachytherapy of electron beam) remains the standard of care," Dr. Anderson said during a presentation at the 11th annual conference of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network. --Click the title of this post to read the full article from its source--

National Comprehensive Cancer Network Develops Guidelines for Breast Cancer in Pregnancy

MedPage, March 13, 2006
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network has issued its first breast cancer guidelines for the treatment of breast cancer during pregnancy.
"If a woman is in her first trimester, the guidelines suggest the doctor and the patient discuss possible termination of the pregnancy," said Robert Carlson, M.D., of Stanford, who is chairman of the breast cancer guidelines committee. "If she decides to continue the pregnancy, then the guidelines come into place."
The guidelines for treatment of breast caner in pregnant women were issued during the NCCN's 11th annual conference here over the weekend. The NCCN is a consortium of 19 of the nation's leading cancer institutions. --Click the title of this post to read the full article from its source--

Reducing the Risk of Cancer by 50 Percent Appears Possible by Blocking Blue Light in the Evening

eMediaWires, March 8, 2006
Blind people have half the incidence of cancer, most likely because they make melatonin 9 or 10 hours a night according to a recent study at Harvard University. The body can only make melatonin when in the dark. For most people this is 6 or 7 hours a night. It’s the blue component of light that causes melatonin suppression. Glasses that block blue light worn a few hours before bedtime allow melatonin to flow for 9 or 10 hours. --Click the title of this post to read the full article from its source--

BOOK: What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Breast Cancer: How Hormone Balance Can Help Save Your Life

ScienceDaily
An informative and absorbing read for both medical practitioners and their patients, What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Breast Cancer takes aim at "the breast cancer industry" with a barrage of thought-provoking ammunition. The book is equal parts criticism and suggestion. Current health treatments, including HRT, receive serious condemnation, and authors John Lee and David Zava carefully provide plenty of medical research to back up claims that excessive estrogen is a main source of cancer-causing irregularities. --Click the title of this post to read the full article from its source--

Breast Biopsy More Effective In Detecting Cancer Than Noninvasive Diagnostic Tests

MedicalNewsToday, March 8, 2006
Four common noninvasive diagnostic tests for breast cancer are not accurate enough to rule out breast cancer for women with abnormal findings from mammograms or physical examinations that are suggestive of breast cancer, according to a report from the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) conducted by ECRI, a nonprofit health services research agency. ECRI's evidence report found that the diagnostic tests would miss four to nine percent of breast cancer cases for women with an average risk of the disease as compared to biopsy. --Click the title of this post to read the full article from its source--

Tamoxifen Effective in Premenopausal Women with Hormone-Positive Breast Cancer

CancerConsultants, March 9, 2006
According to an early on-line article published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, the anti-estrogen agent tamoxifen (Nolvadex®) following chemotherapy improves outcomes compared with chemotherapy alone in premenopausal women with early breast cancer. --Click the title of this post to read the full article from its source--

Women wanted for trial of breast cancer drug

The EveningTimes, March 9, 2006
Researchers want to find out whether the drug Anastrozole can reduce the risk of being struck down by the disease. Professor Jack Cuzick is heading the global research project and made the appeal to coincide with International Women's Day celebrations. He is keen to attract women in the Glasgow area who face a higher risk of contracting cancer. --Click the title of this post to read the full article from its source--

How to know the surgeon removed all the breast cancer

CBS 5 Green Bay, March 9, 2006
There's A New Way To Make Sure Doctors Get Out All The Disease During Breast Cancer Surgery. It Can Save Women Return Trips To The Operating Room. --Click the title of this post to read the full article from its source--

Epigenomics confirms lead marker for prediction of breast cancer relapse

Epigenomics, March 9, 2006
a molecular diagnostics company developing tests based on DNA methylation today announced positive results of a study investigating the prognostic power of its proprietary prognostic PITX2 DNA methylation biomarker in early stage breast cancer. In addition, the study validated one other prognostic biomarker.The study again confirmed that the marker is of prognostic value for making treatment decisions in cancer. Previously, Epigenomics has demonstrated a correlation between the presence of low levels of PITX2 gene methylation and low risk of metastasis development and vice versa in prostate cancer patients and in patients with node-negative, hormone-receptor positive breast cancer, a less aggressive form of the cancer. The present study investigated 395 breast cancer patients suffering from lymph node positive cancers, a more aggressive form. --Click the title of this post to read the full article from its source--

Breast Cancer Can Be Treated While Pregnant

KDKA2 (CBS), March 9, 2006
Pregnancy can be the most exciting time in a woman’s life, but about 1 in 3,000 moms-to-be find themselves battling breast cancer.Luckily, doctors are able to treat it, saving two lives at once. --Click the title of this post to read the full article from its source--

Aromasin (exemestane) Improves Breast Cancer Outcomes Without Compromising Quality of Life

CancerConsultants.com, February 28, 2006
Breast cancer patients who switched to Aromasin® (exemestane) after 2-3 years of Nolvadex® (tamoxifen) reported a similar quality of life to patients who continued on Nolvadex. These results were published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. --Click the title of this post to read the full article from its source--

Family docs fine for breast cancer follow-up

ABC News (via Reuters), March 01, 2006
Women who have been treated for early-stage breast cancer can safely rely on their family physicians for their follow-up care, according to a new report. --Click the title of this post to read the full article from its source--

Heat Helps Breast Cancer Patients

WFTV, March 01, 2006
In a recent study conducted at Duke University, 21 women with locally advanced breast cancer were enrolled in the 12-week trial to test whether hyperthermia could help shrink their tumors and if so, by how much. Each woman received radiation therapy for between five and six weeks, with treatments given on five days each week. Then, the hyperthermia treatment was given to each woman twice each week during the five and six weeks of therapy. For the hyperthermia treatment, each woman lay on a specially designed table for an hour, with her breast in a pool of water warmed by heat waves. A majority of the women who underwent hyperthermia along with radiation therapy experienced a significant reduction in tumor size. In some cases, tumors were reduced enough so that the women could undergo lumpectomy instead of mastectomy. In a few cases, the hyperthermia treatments completely eliminated the tumors. Researchers also reported that the women tended to experience fewer side effects with hyperthermia than with standard radiation alone. --Click the title of this post to read the full article from its source--

Results from 76-Gene Assay for Early Breast Cancer

CancerConsultants.com, March 01, 2006
Adjuvant chemotherapy and/or endocrine therapy have resulted in an improvement in survival in women with early-stage breast cancer. However, the benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy in this group of patients is not uniform, as it is estimated that approximately 85% of women with this disease receive adjuvant chemotherapy unnecessarily. Therefore, it is crucial to determine which patients with early breast cancer are at a high risk of developing a recurrence so that individualized adjuvant treatment can reduce the risk of death in appropriately selected patients, while sparing low-risk patients from unnecessary toxicities and medical expenses. --Click the title of this post to read the full article from its source--

Gene Expression Profiling Allows Grade 2 Breast Cancer Patients To Be Reclassified Into Two Groups

CancerConsultants.com, March 01, 2006
A study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute reports that gene expression profiling may allow women with grade 2 breast cancer to be reclassified into two groups—one with a lower risk of recurrence and one with a higher risk of recurrence. The prognosis of women with breast cancer depends on several factors, including the grade of the tumor. Grade refers to how abnormal the tumor cells look under a microscope and how quickly the tumor is likely to grow. A commonly used grading system for breast cancer assigns grades of 1 to 3, with 1 being the least abnormal and 3 being the most abnormal. Many breast cancers are classified as grade 2, suggesting an intermediate level of risk. For women who fall into this group that is neither low-risk nor high-risk, there continues to be uncertainty about expected risk of cancer recurrence. To explore whether additional information about the tumor could help refine prognosis in women with grade 2 tumors, researchers evaluated the role of gene expression profiling. --Click the title of this post to read the full article from its source--