Research News for December 2009
11–20 of 30 articles
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New Targeted Therapies Studied
Several small studies offer mixed results on the targeted therapies Nexavar, Sutent, and motesanib as treatments for advanced-stage breast cancer.
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Timing of Herceptin Influences Risk of Recurrence
Research suggests that giving Herceptin at the same time as chemotherapy, rather than after chemotherapy is done, can reduce the risk of recurrence of HER2-positive, early-stage breast cancer.
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Research Continues to Show Benefit of Chemotherapy After Breast Cancer Surgery
Research suggests that post-menopausal women diagnosed with early-stage, hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer that had spread to the lymph nodes who got adjuvant chemotherapy AND adjuvant hormonal therapy had a lower risk of recurrence and were more likely to be alive than women who got only hormonal therapy. The study also showed that starting hormonal therapy after chemotherapy was done was better than giving hormonal therapy and chemotherapy at the same time and that a genetic test can help figure out if women diagnosed with early-stage, hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer that has spread to the lymph nodes will benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy.
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Targeting Breast Cancer Stem Cells May Help Lower Recurrence Risk
A very preliminary study found that gamma secretase inhibitors, a new type of targeted therapy medicine, may weaken or destroy breast cancer stem cells.
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Same Outcomes for Women Who Take Aromasin for 5 Years or Switch After Taking Tamoxifen
The latest results from the TEAM trial show that women who took tamoxifen for 2.5 to 3 years and then switched to Aromasin for 2 to 2.5 years (for a total of 5 years of hormonal therapy) had the same risk of recurrence as women who took Aromasin for 5 years.
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Herceptin Plus Chemotherapy Without Anthracycline Effective
The latest results from the BCIRG-006 trial found that Herceptin plus chemotherapy that didn't include an anthracycline was as effective as Herceptin plus chemotherapy that did include an anthracycline for women diagnosed with HER2-positive, early-stage breast cancer.
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Overweight, Obese Women Have Worse Breast Cancer Prognosis
A large Danish study found that overweight or obese women diagnosed with breast cancer had a worse prognosis than women at a healthy weight.
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Zometa Before Surgery Doesn’t Seem to Have Benefits
Research shows that Zometa (chemical name: zoledronic acid) doesn't destroy or slow the growth of breast cancer cells when given before surgery to post-menopausal women diagnosed with early-stage, hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer.
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Denosumab Slightly Better Than Zometa at Easing Bone Pain, Complications of Metastatic Breast Cancer
Denosumab, an experimental targeted therapy medicine, seems to be a little better than Zometa at preventing bone pain and slowing bone complications from breast cancer that has spread to the bones.
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Experimental Targeted Therapy Makes Chemotherapy Work Better
A small study found that BSI-201, an experimental targeted therapy medicine, makes chemotherapy work better against aggressive forms of breast cancer.
11–20 of 30 articles
