Research News for June 2009
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Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, Obesity Put Women at Higher Risk of Breast Cancer
Post-menopausal women with a condition called metabolic syndrome have an increased risk of breast cancer. Metabolic syndrome includes at least three of the following: abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, abnormal levels of fat in the blood, high blood sugar, and impaired blood sugar tolerance.
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Urban Women with Higher Incomes Have Larger Drops in Breast Cancer Rates
Women with higher incomes and women who live in urban areas have had larger drops in breast cancer rates since 2002 compared to women with lower incomes who live in suburban or rural areas.
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Experimental Olaparib May Help Treat People with Abnormal BRCA1 or BRCA2 Gene
Most people with an abnormal BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene being treated for advanced stage breast, ovarian, or prostate cancer got some benefit from olaparib, an experimental targeted therapy.
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New Guidelines for Early-Stage Breast Cancer Recommend Treatment Based on Individual Cancer Characteristics
A large group of cancer experts created new guidelines for treating early-stage breast cancer; the guidelines recommend that chemotherapy, targeted therapies, radiation therapy, and hormonal therapy should be based on the characteristics of each individual cancer being treated.
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Some Estrogen-Receptor-Negative Breast Cancers Become Estrogen-Receptor-Positive After Herceptin Treatment
A new study found that some HER2-positive, estrogen-receptor-negative breast cancer cells became estrogen-receptor-positive after being exposed to Herceptin (chemical name: trastuzumab). The study was done on groups of cells in a lab, not in people.
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Women Often Take Antioxidants During Breast Cancer Treatment
Many women being treated for breast cancer are taking at least one antioxidant supplement, often at levels much higher than recommended in a healthy diet.
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Metastatic Breast Cancer Often Treated with Medicines Used “Off-Label”
"Off-label therapy," or using a medication in a way that hasn't been officially approved by the FDA, is used in one-third of women with metastatic breast cancer.
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Higher Risk of Local Recurrence with Partial-Breast Irradiation
Research comparing partial-breast irradiation to whole-breast irradiation found no differences in survival or the risk of the cancer spreading to other parts of the body; still, there was a difference in the risk of the cancer coming back in the same breast or the lymph nodes near the same breast.
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Micrometastases in Lymph Nodes Need Treatment
When small groups of breast cancer cells are found in the sentinel lymph node during surgery to remove early-stage breast cancer, they need to be treated to reduce the risk of the cancer coming back.
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Oncologists Don’t Give Patients Enough Information About Fertility
A new survey has found that doctors don't give patients enough information about fertility problems that may happen because of cancer treatments. Most doctors also don't refer cancer patients to fertility specialists for counseling before treatment starts.
