Research News for 2010
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Only About 50% of Women 40 and Older Getting Screening Mammograms
Even before the public outcry about the proposed changes to mammogram guidelines, only about half of women age 40 and older were getting screened as recommended.
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Aromatase Inhibitors Increase Risk of Heart Problems
Women diagnosed with early-stage, hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer who got 5 years of an aromatase inhibitor seem to be more likely to have heart problems compared to women who got 5 years of tamoxifen.
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Results Not Clear on Whether Zometa Reduces Recurrence Risk
Two studies looking at whether Zometa could reduce the risk of early-stage breast cancer coming back (recurrence) offered conflicting results.
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Careful Weight Lifting Doesn’t Increase Lymphedema Risk
Research suggests that a careful weight lifting program that starts with light weights and gradually increases after breast cancer surgery doesn't increase lymphedema risk and could possibly lower the risk of developing lymphedema.
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Radiation, Tamoxifen After DCIS Surgery Reduces Recurrence Risk
Research shows that radiation therapy and hormonal therapy after surgery for DCIS reduces the risk of being diagnosed with either another DCIS or invasive breast cancer in the future.
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Doctors Continue to Prescribe Standard-Dose Hormone Replacement Therapy
Despite a clear link between standard-dose HRT and breast cancer, many doctors continue to regularly prescribe standard-dose HRT instead of low-dose HRT.
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Taxotere Better Than Fluorouracil in Chemo Regimen After Surgery for Early-Stage Disease
Chemotherapy that included Taxotere offered slightly better results than a regimen that included 5-FU for women diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer that hadn't spread to the lymph nodes, but Taxotere was more likely to cause serious side effects.
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Herceptin May Help Treat Small, Early-Stage HER2-Positive Breast Cancers
Research suggests that Herceptin may be able to reduce the risk of recurrence of early-stage, HER2-positive breast cancers that are smaller than 1 cm and haven't spread to the lymph nodes.
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Annual Screening with Both Mammography and MRI Seems Better Than Only Mammography for Women with Personal History of Breast Cancer
Research suggests that yearly screening with BOTH mammography and breast MRI might be better than only a yearly mammogram for women with a personal history of breast cancer.
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Experimental Medicine May Help Treat Advanced-Stage Breast Cancer
A small study suggests that an experimental targeted therapy may be able to treat a variety of advanced-stage cancers (including breast) that have stopped responding to standard treatments.
