Research News on Screening and Testing
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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.
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HER2 Testing, Record of Results Inconsistent and Inadequate
Researchers have found that HER2 testing as well as the way the test results are recorded in medical and insurance records are inconsistent and generally inadequate.
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Mammography Plus Exam Better at Finding Cancer, But Produce More False Positives
Using both a clinical exam -- a manual exam of the breasts by a medical professional -- and a mammogram is better at detecting breast cancer than a mammogram alone, but clinical exams produce more false positives.
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MRI Before Surgery Doesn’t Improve Doctor’s Recommendations
Routinely doing MRI after diagnosis and before surgery for early-stage breast cancer may lead to more mastectomy recommendations vs. lumpectomy recommendations with no improvement in outcome.
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Stopping Hormone Replacement Therapy Before Mammogram Doesn’t Improve Accuracy
Research has found that stopping hormone replacement therapy before a mammogram doesn't improve the accuracy of the mammogram reading.
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Molecular Test During Surgery May Help Find Cancer in Lymph Nodes
A test that quickly detects cancer cells in a lymph node during surgery to remove breast cancer is accurate enough to help doctors decide if lymph nodes need to be removed during the surgery.
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Young, High-Risk Women Benefit from Breast Self-Exam
Research shows that breast self-exam is an important cancer detection tool for young women, especially young women at high risk for breast cancer.
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Biopsy of Metastatic Cancer Can Improve Treatment
In some cases, certain "personality" factors of recurrent metastatic breast cancer -- hormone-receptor status and HER2 status -- can be different from the original breast cancer, which may affect treatment decisions.
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Survival Rates Much Better If Second Cancer Detected Early
Detecting a second or recurring breast cancer early improves survival.
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Many Women Who Got Chest Radiation as Children Aren’t Getting Needed Breast Cancer Screening
Many women treated for childhood cancer with chest radiation therapy aren't getting recommended breast cancer screening.
