May 2009 Research News

ASCO: New Drug Class Promising in Breast Cancer
May 31, 2009
Experimental targeted therapy medicines -- called PARP inhibitors -- may make chemotherapy work better against aggressive forms of breast cancer and also may be able to treat breast cancer alone, without chemotherapy. Read more...

ASCO: Conflicting Data on Breast Cancer, Tamoxifen, SSRIs
May 30, 2009
While the results aren't definitive, one of two new studies suggests that women who take tamoxifen at the same time as the antidepressant medicines Prozac or Paxil may not get the full benefits of tamoxifen. Read more...

Breast Cancer Risk Reduction Guide Adds Raloxifene
May 26, 2009
New guidelines from the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) now recommend both tamoxifen and Evista (chemical name: raloxifene) to reduce breast cancer risk in post-menopausal women at high risk. Read more...

Breast Cancer Risk Factors Vary by Tumor Subtype
May 22, 2009
A new study found that certain risk factors for breast cancer affect the risk of specific types of breast cancer in different ways. Read more...

Sequential Docetaxel: No Benefit in Early Breast Cancer
May 15, 2009
Taxotere doesn't seem to offer any benefits in treating early-stage breast cancer and also causes more serious side effects. Read more...

Standard Therapy Tops Capecitabine in Older Patients
May 13, 2009
Research shows that women older than 65 do better on standard intravenous chemotherapy after surgery to remove early-stage breast cancer than Xeloda (chemical name: capecitabine), an oral chemotherapy. Read more...

Rapid Test Cuts Need for Extra Breast Cancer Surgery
May 8, 2009
A test that quickly detects cancer cells in a lymph node during surgery to remove breast cancer is accurate enough to help doctors decide if lymph nodes need to be removed during the surgery. Read more...