Research News for 2009
-
Younger Women More Likely to Have DCIS Recurrence
A new study suggests that younger women (under 45) who have lumpectomy and radiation therapy to treat DCIS are more likely to have the breast cancer come back (recurrence) compared to older women who had the same treatment.
-
Herceptin Helps Treat Early-Stage, HER2-Positive Cancers
New research shows that Herceptin (chemical name: trastuzumab) offers benefits to women diagnosed with HER2-positive, early-stage breast cancer with a low risk of recurrence.
-
Women at Risk for Heart Problems After Breast Cancer Treatment
A small study shows that the risk of a serious heart problem, such as a stroke or heart attack, often is the same or greater than the risk of breast cancer recurrence.
-
Research Finds Breast Cancer Cells Continue to Mutate
After analyzing cells from both metastatic breast cancer and the original cancer that was diagnosed 9 years earlier, scientists found that the cancer cells continued to evolve and mutate over time.
-
Taxanes Only Reduce Recurrence Risk for Certain Types of Breast Cancer
Research shows that taxanes (a type of chemotherapy medicine) reduce the risk of recurrence of only certain types of breast cancer, so using taxanes to treat the other types of disease doesn't offer any real benefits.
-
Risk of Dying from Breast Cancer Higher for Women Who Don’t Get Regular Mammograms
Research reinforces the value of mammograms: women who don't get regular mammograms are more likely to die from the disease after diagnosis.
-
Lymph Node Ultrasound Before Surgery Can Help Find Cancer Spread
Ultrasound of underarm lymph nodes can determine if cancer has spread to those lymph nodes in some cases.
-
Low Levels of CYP2D6 Enzyme Affect Tamoxifen’s Effectiveness
Tamoxifen isn't as effective in women diagnosed with early-stage, hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer who make very little or no CYP2D6 enzyme compared to women with higher CYP2D6 levels.
-
Regular, Vigorous Exercise Reduces Risk for Postmenopausal Women
A new study suggests that regular moderate- to high-intensity exercise, but not lower-intensity exercise, is associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer in post-menopausal women.
-
Number of Women Choosing Protective Mastectomy Increases
An increasing number of women are making the decision to have prophylactic mastectomy to reduce the risk of breast cancer.
