Updates to The Thinking Woman’s Guide to Breast Cancer
Here you’ll find useful information that complements the book.
Diagnosis
Breast cancer deaths are not reduced by mammography, study finds
An analysis of more than 16 million women across the US suggests that mammography screening for breast cancer does not reduce deaths from the disease and may lead to overdiagnosis. Source: Breast cancer deaths are not reduced by mammography, study...
What Cancer Screening Statistics Really Tell Us – National Cancer Institute
Cancer screening studies have shown that more screening does not necessarily translate into fewer cancer deaths. This article explains how to interpret the statistics used to describe the results of screening studies. Source: What Cancer Screening Statistics Really...
Genetic Testing Guidelines “Not Helpful” in Breast Cancer, Study Shows
Currently, the NCCN guidelines limit which breast cancer patients should be tested on the basis of risk factors, such as family history. The study findings, however, suggest it may be time to update the NCCN guidelines to recommend genetic testing for all patients...
Surgery
Fluorescent Tracers Help Surgeons Remove Breast Cancer Tumors And Preserve Healthy Tissue
Fluorescent tracer dyes could provide real-time feedback to surgeons during breast cancer surgery, maximizing the chance of removing all of the tumor, whilst preserving more healthy tissue. Source: Fluorescent Tracers Help Surgeons Remove Breast Cancer Tumors And...
10-Year Results Show That Many Women Don’t Need Axillary Lymph Node Surgery
Source: 10-Year Results Show That Many Women Don’t Need Axillary Lymph Node Surgery
Chemotherapy
Sensitizing Dormant Tumor Cells to Chemotherapy
When mice implanted with human breast cancer cells were treated with chemotherapy alone, almost 75% eventually developed metastases in the bones. But when given an anti-integrin antibody before chemotherapy, only 22% did. Source: Sensitizing Dormant Tumor Cells to...
Can Fasting Improve Chemotherapy’s Effects?
“If you think about it, cancer cells have evolved in the presence of lots of nutrients, lots of sugar, lots of proteins and amino acids. That’s exactly what they like. That’s what they’re used to [having, and] when you take that away and add chemotherapy or radiotherapy or potentially newer therapies, now the therapies can be much more effective,” Longo explains
Study May Spare Thousands of Breast Cancer Patients From Unnecessary Chemotherapy
The study found that treatment with chemotherapy and hormone therapy after surgery is not more beneficial than treatment with hormone therapy alone for many breast cancer patients. This includes women with hormone receptor (HR)-positive, HER2-negative, axillary lymph node–negative breast cancer (meaning the cancer has not spread to the lymph nodes).
Radiation
Side effects of radiation for breast cancer: What to know
Radiation can be an effective treatment for breast cancer, but it does have side effects. Doctors may recommend this therapy in combination with others, such as surgery and chemotherapy. Learn more about how radiation for breast cancer affects the body and what short-...
Radiation therapy for breast cancer
Radiation therapy for breast cancer — Overview covers why it's done, what to expect and side effects of breast cancer radiation, including proton therapy. Source: Radiation therapy for breast cancer - Mayo...
Two Radiation Therapy Approaches Prevent Breast Cancer Recurrences
By delivering larger individual doses of radiation across fewer treatment sessions, accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) has emerged as an alternative approach to whole breast irradiation (WBI). Studies have shown that by treating the area of the breast in...
Lifestyle Issues
Cancer and Diet 101: How What You Eat Can Influence Cancer
Observational studies have repeatedly indicated that high consumption of certain foods may increase the likelihood of developing cancer. Source: Cancer and Diet 101: How What You Eat Can Influence...
FDA Bans Cancer-Causing Food Additives, But Won’t Enforce Until 2020
Recently banned cancer-causing additives will be on grocery shelves all year, unless companies are pressured. Source: FDA Bans Cancer-Causing Food Additives, But Won’t Enforce Until...
Phthalates and Postmenopausal Breast Cancer
Phthalates are endocrine-disrupting, and their effects on the human reproductive system has been of great interest. In humans, the primary exposure to phthalates is through food and beverages wrapped in plastic; in vitro studies have suggested that certain phthalates...
Other New Research
Using light to destroy metastatic breast cancer
Metastatic breast cancer may soon be treated using light to activate photo-sensitive drugs which, in turn, can target cancer cells and avoid healthy ones. Source: Using light to destroy metastatic breast...
1 in 5 Breast Cancer Patients Could Benefit from This Treatment — If They Could Get It
Besides being potentially able to treat breast cancer in 20 percent of patients, PARP inhibitors also have other benefits. They target only the cancerous cells, leaving healthy cells alone, and they cause very minimal side effects in most patients. Source: 1 in 5...
Antibiotic may prevent breast cancer recurrence
Metastasis and recurrence are huge challenges for breast cancer researchers. One group believes that an existing antibiotic might provide help. Source: Antibiotic may prevent breast cancer...