Breaking Research News from Breastcancer.org

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New American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Guidelines Recommend Women Be Offered Mammograms at Age 40
June 23, 2017
New ACOG guidelines recommend average-risk women be offered annual screening mammograms at age 40; the decision about when to start screening should be made by each woman after discussion with her doctor. Read more...

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Final Results From Two Studies Confirm Kadcyla's Benefits for Advanced-Stage HER2-Positive Disease
June 23, 2017
Final results from the EMILIA and TH3RESA studies show that Kadcyla improves overall survival in people diagnosed with advanced-stage HER2-positive breast cancer that has been previously treated. Read more...

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Breast Cancer Risk Seems More Affected by Total Body Fat Than Abdominal Fat
June 27, 2017
Reducing total body fat, rather than just belly fat, is better at lowering biomarkers linked to breast cancer risk. Read more...

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Can Eating a Low-Fat Diet Improve Breast Cancer Survival in Postmenopausal Women?
June 28, 2017
A study suggests that postmenopausal women who eat a low-fat diet after a breast cancer diagnosis are less likely to die from breast cancer or any other cause. Read more...

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Study Estimates Relative Risk of Breast and Ovarian Cancer for 25 Genetic Mutations
June 29, 2017
A study has taken the first step in estimating the relative risk associated with 25 genetic mutations linked to breast and ovarian cancer. Read more...

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Study Estimates Breast Cancer Risk by Age for Women With BRCA Mutations
June 30, 2017
A study estimates the risk of breast and ovarian cancer by age, taking into account family history and mutation location for women with a BRCA mutation. Read more...

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North American Menopause Society Updates Position Statement on Hormone Therapy, Says Benefits Outweigh Risks for Some Women
July 7, 2017
For women younger than 60 or within 10 years of menopause who have no other contraindications, the benefits of HRT outweigh the risks when treating menopausal symptoms, especially hot flashes. Read more...

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Adding MRI or Ultrasound to Mammograms Improves Detection of New Cancers After Lumpectomy for Younger Women
July 11, 2017
Adding MRI or ultrasound to annual mammography detected more new cancers in women 50 and younger who had been treated with lumpectomy for breast cancer. Read more...

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ASCO Updates Guidelines on Using Biomarkers to Make Adjuvant Treatment Decisions for Women Diagnosed With Early-Stage Invasive Disease to Include MammaPrint Test
July 11, 2017
The update addresses using the MammaPrint test to guide decisions about whether or not chemotherapy is needed after surgery. Read more...

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Ovarian Suppression After Surgery Causes More Severe Hot Flashes, Night Sweats in Younger Women
July 11, 2017
The latest analysis of the TEXT and SOFT studies found that hot flashes and night sweats affected quality of life the most for women younger than 35. Read more...

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Including Risk of Common Genetic Variants May Lead to Better Estimates of Breast and Prostate Cancer Risk in Men With BRCA1/2 Mutations
July 12, 2017
Researchers combined the risk of common genetic variants associated with breast and prostate cancer to better estimate breast and prostate cancer risk in men with BRCA1/2 mutations. Read more...

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Triple-Negative Breast Cancer's Response to Carboplatin Before Surgery Seems Affected By BRCA1/2 Mutation Status
July 14, 2017
In the GeparSixto study, women with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation responded better to chemotherapy before surgery without carboplatin, while women without a mutation had better outcomes when carboplatin was added to the chemotherapy regimen. Read more...

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Nerlynx Approved by FDA to Treat Early-Stage, HER2-Positive Breast Cancer
July 18, 2017
Nerlynx was approved by the FDA on July 17, 2017 to treat early-stage, HER2-positive breast cancer for an extended period after surgery in people who have previously been treated with Herceptin. Read more...

Find out more about this new medication on the Nerlynx section of Breastcancer.org.

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Study Estimates Ashkenazi Jewish Women's Risk of Having Mutations Other Than BRCA1 and BRCA2
July 26, 2017
Research suggests that comprehensive genetic testing for Ashkenazi Jewish women, rather than only testing for the three BRCA1 or BRCA2 founder mutations, would help prevent breast cancer in this high-risk population. Read more...

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Should Antiperspirants Be Avoided During Radiation Treatment for Breast Cancer?
July 27, 2017
Antiperspirants don't increase the radiation dose to the skin, but doctors tell people to avoid antiperspirants during treatment because these products could further irritate the skin beyond what the radiation is already doing. Read more...

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Exercise Helps Ease Fatigue, Chemo Brain
July 27, 2017
Doing more moderate to vigorous exercise can help ease both chemo brain and fatigue in women who have been treated for breast cancer. Read more...

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ASCO Updates Guidelines on Medicines to Control Nausea and Vomiting
August 1, 2017
The updated guidelines include recommendations on new antiemetic medicines. Read more...

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Decision-Making Style, Values Influence Surgery Decisions for Early-Stage Breast Cancer
August 17, 2017
A study suggests that the way a woman makes big decisions, as well as her values, influences the type of surgery she considers for early-stage breast cancer. Read more...

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Starting Annual Screening Mammograms at Age 40 Saves More Lives
August 22, 2017
A study suggests that starting annual screening mammograms at age 40 saves more lives than other mammogram recommendations. Read more...

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Using Vaginal Estrogen Not Linked to High Breast Cancer Risk
August 23, 2017
Information from the Women's Health Initiative shows that postmenopausal women who use vaginal estrogen have the same risk of invasive breast cancer and other diseases as women who don't use vaginal estrogen. Read more...

voraciousreader

here is what American Cancer Society Medical Director Dr. Otis Brawley opines...

In an accompanying editorial, American Cancer Society chief medical officer Otis Brawley pointed out limitations of the analysis. (The cancer society recommends the second strategy, with an option to start screening at age 40.)

For one thing, the computer modeling does not address the problem of "overdiagnosis" — detecting and treating cancers that would never cause harm if left undiagnosed. No one knows how many cancers are overdiagnosed, but estimates vary from 3 percent to 50 percent of cancers detected by screening, Brawley wrote.

For another, nearly 5 percent of cancer deaths occur among women diagnosed before age 35, when cancer is rare but typically very aggressive. That fact, Brawley said, underscores the need for a better screening test.

"Acknowledging the limitations of mammography is often misinterpreted as being against mammography screening. In fact, it is not," he wrote. "Our goal should be to provide thoughtful, balanced information so that women can make informed choices."

voraciousreader

http://www.raps.org/Regulatory-Focus/News/2017/08/...

FDA Finds Widespread Process Deficiencies at Mammography Facilities

Posted 25 August 2017

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Review Offers Recommendations for Managing Menopausal Symptoms in Women Who've Been Diagnosed With Breast Cancer
August 28, 2017
Researchers have developed recommendations on managing menopausal symptoms for women who've been diagnosed with breast cancer. Read more...

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Mammogram System That Lets Patients Control Pressure Cleared by FDA
September 13, 2017
On Sept. 1, 2017, the FDA cleared a 2D digital mammography system that allows patients to increase or decrease the amount of compression applied to their breast before the mammogram is taken. Read more...

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FDA Expands Use of Faslodex for Breast Cancer
September 13, 2017
Faslodex can now be used alone as the first treatment for postmenopausal women diagnosed with hormone-receptor-positive, HER2-negative, advanced-stage breast cancer that hasn't been treated with hormonal therapy. Read more...

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Experimental Abemaciclib Improves Outcomes in Advanced-Stage, Hormone-Receptor-Positive Disease
September 14, 2017
Results from a third study show that the experimental targeted therapy medicine abemaciclib improved progression-free survival in postmenopausal women diagnosed with hormone-receptor-positive, HER2-negative, advanced-stage breast cancer. Read more...

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Study Looks at Relationship Between High Cholesterol and Lower Breast Cancer Risk
September 14, 2017
A study suggests that women diagnosed with high cholesterol are less likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer; if they are diagnosed with breast cancer, they are less likely to die from it than women without high cholesterol. Read more...

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Full Radiation Dose May Not Be Necessary for Some Early-Stage Breast Cancers
September 15, 2017
A study suggests that treating just the area around where a cancer used to be with radiation may be as good as treating the whole breast with radiation. Read more...

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10-Year Results Show That Many Women Don't Need Axillary Lymph Node Surgery
September 20, 2017
Ten-year results from the Z0011 trial strongly suggest that routinely removing the axillary lymph nodes during lumpectomy to remove early-stage breast cancer doesn't make sense for many women. Read more...

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Location of Fat May Affect Type of Breast Cancer Risk
September 20, 2017
Obese women with more belly fat had a higher risk of hormone-receptor-negative breast cancer while obese women with more fat around their thighs, hips, and buttocks had a higher risk of hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer compared to women with less fat in these locations. Read more...