Cabbage Can Cut Down Breast Cancer Risk

According to a new study, women who ate about four servings of sauerkraut or cabbage every week during adolescence, have a 74 percent less chance in getting breast cancer than women who ate about one and a half or less servings of sauerkraut every week. The study conducted by Michigan State University and University of New Mexico suggests changes in diet that can significantly reduce breast cancer risk among women - the second leading cause of cancer deaths among women. There have been studies earlier that have shown a strong connection between the regular consumption of cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage and a reduced risk of breast cancer. However the new research has focused more specifically on the fermented form of cabbage, sauerkraut. --Click the title of this post to read the full article from its source--

16 Common Myths About Breast Cancer

One in seven women will develop breast cancer in her life, but how much do most women really know about breast cancer? Breast cancer specialists from the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center say that misconceptions often cause women more anxiety than necessary. And in some cases the fear paralyzes women and prevents them from seeking the care that could lead to successful treatment. Experts debunk some of the most common myths about breast cancer. --Click the title of this post to read the full article from its source--

Breast Cancer Survivor May Develop a Vaccine for the Disease

Dr. Yvonne Paterson's vaccine Lovaxin B now in pre-clinical testing. A vaccine for breast cancer may be developed through the leadership of a breast cancer survivor. Yvonne Paterson, Ph.D., the scientific founder of Advaxis, Inc., as well as a Professor of Microbiology at the University of Pennsylvania, and her team, are working on a suite of new vaccines to treat women with different types of cancers, including breast cancer. Central to the team's discovery is the microbe Listeria monocytogenes, a bacterium found in dairy products. Dr. Paterson built upon the well-known fact that when Listeria is introduced into the body, it has an extremely powerful, direct stimulatory effect on the activities of immune killer T cells. By modifying Listeria to deliver cancer antigens, Dr. Paterson was able to direct this response to kill cancer cells. These modified-Listeria vaccines harness the power of the immune system to mount an attack against the Listeria and at the same time, redirect the immune system to also attack the cancer cells. --Click the title of this post to read the full article from its source--

Vaccines under development could be a solution to breast cancer

Today, there are vaccines for a host of diseases, including polio, smallpox, and chicken pox. Administering these vaccines is also as simple and effective as literally giving the patient "a shot in the arm." In this new era of vaccine development, researchers at a New Jersey-based biotechnology company, Advaxis, Inc., are working on a suite of new vaccines to treat women with different types of cancers, including breast cancer. Yvonne Paterson, Ph.D., the scientific founder of Advaxis as well as a Professor of Microbiology at the University of Pennsylvania, and her team, have already taken a giant step in the development of a series of cancer- fighting vaccines. Central to the team's discovery is the microbe Listeria monocytogenes, a bacterium found in dairy products. Dr. Paterson built upon the well-known fact that when Listeria is introduced into the body, it has an extremely powerful, direct stimulatory effect on the activities of immune killer T cells. --Click the title of this post to read the full article from its source--

Breast cancer: soy intake may be associated with reduced risk

A meta-analysis found that soy intake may be associated with a small reduction in the risk of breast cancer.However, because of limitations and inconsistencies in the studies examined within the meta-analysis, the authors caution that evidence is not sufficient to recommend soy as a means of preventing breast cancer.Women in Asian countries have much lower breast cancer rates ( 39 per 100,000 ) than Western women ( 133 per 100,000 ), and when Asian women move to the United States their rates of breast cancer increase. Some studies have suggested the difference may be due to dietary habits, noting that Asian women consume higher quantities of soy products than Western women.Soybeans contain high quantities of compounds called isoflavones, molecules that affect biological pathways that could alter breast cancer risk. Because of these potential associations with lower breast cancer risk, women are increasingly taking high dose soy or isoflavone supplements. --Click the title of this post to read the full article from its source--

Xeloda and Temodar Effective for Breast Cancer Spread to Brain

According to an article recently published in the journal Cancer, the chemotherapy combination including Xeloda® (capecitabine) and Temodar® (temozolomide) provides anticancer activity in patients with breast cancer that has spread to the brain. The brain is a common location for advanced breast cancer to spread. Unfortunately, long-term survival rates for patients with this stage of disease are not favorable. Patients are often treated with radiation therapy to the whole brain; however, this treatment may contribute to a decreased quality of life as cognitive functions can be compromised. Since many chemotherapy agents do not pass into the brain, they do not attack cancer cells that have entered the brain. Temodar, on the other hand, is a chemotherapy agent that is able to pass into the brain. Since it tends to be well tolerated, researchers continue to evaluate Temodar in the treatment of cancers that either originate in the brain or spread to the brain from other sites in the body (brain metastasis). --Click the title of this post to read the full article from its source--

Introgen Cancer Drug Shows Promise

Biopharmaceutical company Introgen Therapeutics Inc. said Wednesday data from a mid-stage study of its breast cancer treatment were published in the latest issue of Cancer, the journal of the American Cancer Society. The Phase II clinical trial, involving 12 patients, combined Advexin and chemotherapy to shrink tumors before surgical removal. The study showed a more than 50 percent reduction in tumor size and a 100 percent success rate in complete removal of the tumors during surgery. After 37 months, the survival rate for patients was 84 percent. The study was conducted at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. --Click the title of this post to read the full article from its source--

Cell-Regulating Gene Boosts Breast Cancer Survival

Overexpression of a cell-regulating gene called cyclin D1 occurs in 30 percent to 50 percent of breast cancer patients and is associated with increased sensitivity to anti-cancer drugs and improved chance of survival, U.S. researchers report. A team at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City has found that cyclin D1 suppresses the activity of a gene called STAT3, which promotes cell overgrowth and prevents harmful cells from dying. The findings were published in the Sept. 6 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. --Click the title of this post to read the full article from its source--

Chemicals linked to cancer removed from some nail polish lines

Three major nail polish manufacturers say they've either removed or have begun the process of removing a trio of substances that have been deemed harmful.The chemicals formaldehyde, toluene and dibutyl phthalate, or DBP, have been linked to cancer and birth defects. All were banned earlier this year in cosmetics by European Union regulators but have not been targeted for removal in this country by the Food and Drug Administration. Manufacturers, all with markets abroad, said Tuesday they have begun removing the compounds voluntarily under pressure from health and environmental advocacy organizations.Executives at Del Laboratories in Uniondale, manufacturer of Sally Hansen brand nail polish, say their products are being reformulated to eliminate all three substances. The Sally Hansen brand is sold worldwide and is the No. 1 nail polish brand sold in drugstores. --Click the title of this post to read the full article from its source--

Breast Cancer Rates Stop Rising

The National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Md., said the breast cancer rate in the United States stopped rising in 2001 and may have begun to fall in 2003. The institute said the data represent an end to the rise of breast cancer rates, which had been on a steady incline since the 1980s. However, the organization's report said it will take years to find out if the trend is lasting or a temporary reprieve. --Click the title of this post to read the full article from its source--

Cancer's Genetic Code Cracked

Scientists say they have cracked the genetic code of breast and colon cancers, letting them "study the enemy's game plan.” The breakthrough comes from a huge effort led by researchers at Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center. It's not the first-ever look at cancer genes. But it's the first time scientists have used 21st-century technology to scan the entire genome of breast and colon cancers. --Click the title of this post to read the full article from its source--