Research News for March 2010
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Breast Exam Form Improves Referral Rate
Using specific forms to record the results of clinical breast exams may improve the chances of finding suspicious areas.
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Women Who Would Benefit May Not be Getting Radiation After Mastectomy
While most women don't get radiation after mastectomy, new research suggests that some women may benefit from it.
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Breast Cancer Cells with High Levels of PARP Enzyme More Likely to Respond to Chemo
Research suggests that cancers with high levels of the PARP enzyme are more likely to respond to chemotherapy.
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Beta-Blocker Seems to Reduce Risk of Metastatic Spread
New research suggests that beta-blockers may improve breast cancer prognosis.
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Research on Treatment Options for Diagnosed Women with Abnormal Breast Cancer Genes
A new study found that women with an abnormal breast cancer gene had the same survival rates whether they had mastectomy or lumpectomy plus radiation. Still, women who had lumpectomy plus radiation were between 4 and 5 times more likely to develop another breast cancer in the same breast compared to women who had mastectomy, unless lumpectomy plus radiation was followed by chemotherapy.
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New Treatment Standard Offered for Metastatic HER2-Positive Disease
A new study suggests that the combination of Navelbine and Herceptin may be better than Taxotere and Herceptin as the first treatment for HER2-positive, metastatic breast cancer.
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If Breast Cancer Develops, Breastfeeding Longer Seems Linked to More Aggressive Forms
A study suggests an association between breastfeeding for more than 6 months and the likelihood of more aggressive breast cancer, if breast cancer is diagnosed.
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Some Women Who Choose Contralateral Mastectomy Overestimate Risk
A very small study suggests that women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer in one breast who are considering removing the opposite healthy breast overestimated their risk of developing breast cancer in the healthy breast. Once the women took time to carefully consider their actual risk of developing a new breast cancer, they usually decided against removing the healthy breast.
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Getting Pregnant Doesn’t Affect Future Survival
A new analysis suggests that pregnancy doesn't negatively affect the future survival of women who've been diagnosed with breast cancer.
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HER2 Levels Drop If HER2-Positive Cancers Respond to Chemo Plus Herceptin Before Surgery
New research suggests that measuring the drop in blood HER2 protein levels before and after chemotherapy and Herceptin given before surgery may help predict which women are most likely to benefit from Herceptin treatment before surgery.
