The Breast Cancer Blog » February 2007

February 7, 2007

A new study suggests that women 65 and older who took growth factors to boost their immune systems during chemotherapy doubled their risk of developing leukemia.

The researchers noted that the absolute risk remained small, and said the benefits of growth factors probably still outweighed their risks. But it is one more thing for cancer patients to take into account when deciding on a course of treatment.

Breast cancer treatment found to boost leukemia risk

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The FDA has approved a genetic test called MammaPrint to detect possible recurrence of early stage breast cancer down the road. The test may help doctors determine whether a woman needs chemotherapy in cases where the cancer has not spread.

However, there are those who have concerns about the test:

Lichtenfeld said he isn't convinced the test has a value in deciding if a woman should have chemotherapy or not. "We don't know, at this point, whether or not this is a test that should influence the decisions that women and their doctors should be making with regard to adjuvant therapy," he said.

Dr. Len Lichtenfeld is the deputy chief medical officer at the American Cancer Society.

FDA Approves Gene-Based Breast Cancer Test

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New research has found that Latinas are getting an aggressive form of breast cancer - known as triple negative carcinoma - at alarmingly high rates. African-American women were already known to have high rates of this kind of breast cancer.

The findings are alarming not only because triple-negative cancers can be so deadly, but also because many Latinas can face multiple barriers to obtaining comprehensive health care, from the most basic preventive screenings to sophisticated treatment regimens.

Aggressive breast cancer hits Latinas

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February 6, 2007

Many women stop taking breast cancer drugs called aromatase inhibitors before the five-year drug course is over because of severe side effects.

Joint aches, bone pain, weight gain, hot flashes, insomnia and osteoporosis are among the most common symptoms cited by women taking aromatase inhibitors. The drugs also can affect bone density and increase the risk of osteoporosis and fractures.

Doctors are urging women to continue taking the drugs:

"These are lifesaving drugs for these women," says Dr. Cary Presant, a clinical professor of medicine at the University of Southern California and the author of a recent study on the side effects of these medications. "We want to see women continue taking them."

Many stop taking breast cancer drugs

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Jacqueline Williams of Cardiff, Wales believes Herceptin is the reason she has been free from breast cancer for the last five years. It is the only thing that has helped her remain free of the cancer that she has battled for 11 years.

The 54-year-old was prescribed the drug after three separate courses of chemotherapy, six operations and some four different oestrogen-blocking drugs had failed to halt the steady progression of her breast cancer ... After initially being diagnosed 15 years ago, at the age of 38, Mrs Williams has suffered eight recurrences of the disease in the space of just 11 years

I'm fitter now than 10 years ago, thanks to Herceptin

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February 2, 2007

It used to be believed that women with dense breast tissue had higher rates of breast cancer because the dense breast tissue made it more difficult to spot small tumors on a mammogram. Now, that belief is changing.

Canadian researchers reported last month in The New England Journal of Medicine that there may be more to it than just difficulty in screening.

The results suggest very dense breasts don't just mask tumors but pose "an underlying biological risk," says Dr. Norman Boyd of the Ontario Cancer Institute in Toronto, lead author of the study.

Tests find cancer in dense breasts

Tags: breast cancer, cancer news, mammogram, health

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In a sad story out of Britain, 19 women were mistakenly told they did not have breast cancer and one of them has died as a result. The others have been told their chances of survival will suffer because of the delay in diagnosis.

Consultant radiologist Amjad Husien's blunders sparked a massive review of almost 2,500 mammograms by bosses at the Trafford General Hospital and North Manchester General Hospital, both in Greater Manchester.

Woman dies after cancer blunder

Tags: breast cancer, cancer news, mammogram, health

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Fewer American women are getting mammograms, according to health officials, but nobody is sure why. There are several theories, from the idea that women have grown complacent to a shortage of screening centers to lack of health insurance.

The decline of less than 2 percentage points may seem small, but it could be terribly significant, Lichtenfeld said. But if you consider that about 80 million U.S. women should be getting a mammogram every year, it means more than 1 million fewer women are getting the screening test, he said.

Fewer women in U.S. are getting mammograms

Tags: breast cancer, cancer news, mammogram, health

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