Breast Health

Women with breast cancer have a new ally in their fight, as researchers now believe zoledronic acid will help prevent bone loss associated with adjuvant aromatase inhibitor therapy. The latest results from the Z-FAST trial were published in Cancer by Dr Adam M. Brufsky, professor of medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and associate director of clinical investigation for the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, and colleagues.

Following two days of hearings, the US Food and Drug Administration has declared that silicone breast implants are safe for use and will remain available. However, the FDA will encourage manufacturers to conduct post-approval studies.

With the media attention focused on cancer genes and registries aimed at tracing hereditary cancers, many women with a family history of cancer and some with no such history are asking their physicians for advice and testing. This article explains the nature of breast and ovarian cancer inheritance and gives recommendations for screening and intervention based on the latest findings in this fast-changing field.

Discussion between Mark Perloe, MD, and Bruno Lunefeld, MD, on the risks associated with ovulation induction in breast cancer and ovarian cancer.

We invited Dr Amer Karam, assistant clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine, to shed some light on how best to address patients' concerns and confusions. Dr Karam is a surgical oncologist who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with breast cancer.

More and more, women are empowering themselves in regards to breast cancer awareness, but the information they receive regarding mammography may be misleading, confusing, or even conflict with the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology recommendations.

Are younger women with breast cancer more likely to develop another primary cancer later in life as compared to their older counterparts? According to some experts, younger women may have more unfavorable tumor characteristics. Others hypothesize this increase is observed because younger women can be observed for longer periods. To better understand this phenomenon, Dr Lene Mellemkjaer, senior researcher at the Institute of Cancer Epidemiology of the Danish Cancer Society in Copenhagen, Denmark, and colleagues conducted a study of 304,703 women who received a diagnosis of breast cancer between 1943 and 2006 according to registries in Denmark, Norway, and Finland.

A new recommendation by The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists urges physicians to offer mammography screening annually to women beginning at age 40 years. The College previously recommended that women aged 40 years receive mammograms every 1 to 2 years and women aged 50 years have mammograms annually.

Advances in the treatment for breast cancer have allowed for better outcomes and decreased mortality rates. Tamoxifen, the oldest and most frequently prescribed selective estrogen receptor modulator approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, has shown great efficacy, and studies of tamoxifen treatment lasting 5 years now have follow-up efficacy data that go past one decade. To better understand the evidence, the Early Breast Cancer Trialists’ Collaborative Group (EBCTCG) conducted a meta-analysis of 20 trials to ascertain the protective effects of tamoxifen in reducing recurrence and death ratios.

Mammography screening should be offered annually to women beginning at age 40 years, according to a new recommendation by The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (The College).1 This change was brought about by the high incidence of breast cancer in the United States. Early detection of breast cancer has the potential to reduce the number of breast cancer–related deaths. The College previously recommended that women aged 40 years receive mammograms every 1 to 2 years and women aged 50 years have mammograms annually.

Breast cancer mortality appears to be decreasing not only in the United States but internationally as well. While mammography and screening supporters point to its efficacy as the main reason for this decrease, there is no definitive answer. With that in mind, Dr Philippe Autier, research director at the International Prevention Research Institute in Lyon, France, and colleagues sought to compare the trends in breast cancer mortality and the relative screening policies among 3 pairs of neighboring European countries.

Multistatic adaptive microwave imaging (MAMI) methods are presented and compared for early breast cancer detection. Due to the significant contrast between the dielectric properties of normal and malignant breast tissues, developing microwave imaging techniques for early breast cancer detection has attracted much interest lately.

Postoperative radiation therapy substantially decreases local relapse and moderately reduces breast cancer mortality, but can be associated with increased late mortality due to cardiovascular morbidity and secondary malignancies.

Positive Association Between Mammographic Breast Density and Bone Mineral Density in thePostmenopausal Estrogen/Progestin Interventions Study

MBD2, the gene encoding methyl-CpG-binding domain (MBD)2, is a major methylation related gene and functions as a transcriptional repressor that can specifically bind to the methylated regions of other genes. MBD2 may also mediate gene activation because of its potential DNA demethylase activity.

Five years ago this summer the National Institutes of Health’s stopped early a major portion of the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI), a large and ambitious study to address the most common causes of death, disability and impaired quality of life in postmenopausal women.

Transcriptional Changes Associated with Breast Cancer Occur as Normal Human Mammary Epithelial CellsOvercome Senescence Barriers and Become Immortalized

Most previous studies have focused on evaluating the association between circulating insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 (IGFBP-3) levels and breast cancer risk. Emerging evidence over the past few years suggests that IGFBP-3 may act directly on mammary epithelial cells.

It has been suggested that hormonal risk factors act predominantly on estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor (ER/PR)-positive breast cancers. However, the data have been inconsistent, especially in younger women.

Gene expression profiling has been successfully used to classify breast cancer into clinically distinct subtypes, and to predict the risk of recurrence and treatment response. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the gene expression profile (GEP) detected in a core biopsy (CB) is representative for the entire tumor, since CB is an important tool in breast cancer diagnosis.

Research published in this week's issue of Nature describes the molecular structure of two cancer-related proteins binding to one another. Scientists identified the biochemical and signaling properties of these molecules using a process called X-ray crystallography.

In a study published today in Europe's leading reproductive medicine journal Human Reproduction1, researchers from New York's Cornell University report the first IVF pregnancy to result from the use of tamoxifen as an ovarian stimulant.

Three Weeks of Two-Drug Chemotherapy as Good as Six Weeks of Triple Chemotherapy

The recognition and description of tumor growth control factors, together with the development of interventions that modulate their biologic activity, represent a major focus for current cancer research, which already has changed the practice of clinical oncology.

Breast cancer is traumatic not only for the women who develop it, but also for the men in their lives. I know. In 1991, my wife was diagnosed, and I found myself along for an unpleasant ride as she had surgery, two months of daily radiation, and six months of biweekly chemotherapy, not to mention the emotional upheaval the disease engenders.

Human MUC1 mucin, a membrane-bound glycoprotein, is a major component of the ductal cell surface of normal glandular cells. MUC1 is overexpressed and aberrantly glycosylated in carcinoma cells. The role MUC1 plays in cancer progression represents two sides of one coin.

Sore breasts can signal the onset of PMS -- that 'ouch' feeling tells some women they're premenstrual more reliably than a calendar. Cyclical breast soreness shouldn't cause concern, according to Women's Health America. However, breast pain doesn't have to be tolerated. Here's how to minimize discomfort, and how to recognize cautionary signs that should send you to your doctor.