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| 30 Mar 2006 01:11:27 pm |
 Take A Painkiller To Fight Breast Cancer |
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Image: Robert Brueggemeier
Researchers have found that a painkiller is capable of halting a key enzyme that is required for initiation and progression of breast cancer. Robert Brueggemeier, and colleagues from Ohio State University have found that a painkiller drug called nimesulide is capable of halting the production of the enzyme aromatase, which is the key enzyme implicated in the initiation and progression of estrogen-dependent breast cancers.
Most commonly used hormonal drugs that are currently used in the treatment of breast cancer belong to the category of aromatase inhibitors. These include arimidex, femara, and aromasin. The current study using nimesulide was done in tissue culture using breast cancer cells in the laboratory. This has to be tested in breast cancer patients in clinical trials before it would become available for use commercially for breast cancer treatment.
Aromatase hormone is responsible for the conversion of androgens into estrogens, such as the hormone estradiol. Estrogen is a powerful stimulator of cell division and the presence of too much estrogen can lead to excessive cell division. Excessive cell division can result in genetic errors, which may be inherited by the daughter cells and may ultimately result in breast cancer.
Ideally the action of aromatase inhibition is required only in the breast duct epithelium to prevent breast cancer. Estrogens exert beneficial roles in the bone and the vagina. Problem is that the current inhibitor drugs halt estrogen production throughout the body and this would result in bone loss and changes in the vaginal epithelium.
Nimesulide is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), a drug that controls pain and inflammation. Findings from the new study suggest that nimesulide may block aromatase production only in breast tissue. If successful in clinical trials, this drug may prove to be a much safer alterative to currently existing aromatase inhibitors. |
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Category : Breast cancer treatment
| Posted By : Sherin |  Comments[25] |  Trackbacks [0] |
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| 29 Mar 2006 01:18:34 pm |
| Breast Cancer During Pregnancy |
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Mammogram is not routinely performed for young women and mammogram may be risky in pregnant women because of the risk of radiation exposure to the fetus. However, those women who have symptoms suggestive of breast cancer may get accurate diagnosis of breast cancer using the technique of ultrasound. Ultrasound would be a useful tool in assessing response to therapy in pregnant women as per this study appearing in the April issue of Radiology.
This study comes from M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, who studied the largest group of women to date who were both diagnosed and treated for breast cancer during pregnancy.
The researchers say that, they were able to identify100 percent of cancers in this study, and they have a message for young women. "We want young women to know that symptomatic breast cancer that occurs during pregnancy can be imaged, diagnosed and treated while pregnant, so they should not wait to seek medical attention if they start to have suspicious symptoms."
Ultrasound demonstrated all 21 tumors in all 20 women who had ultrasound exams (100 percent). Additionally, ultrasound depicted the spread of cancer to the lymph nodes in 15 of 18 women (83 percent) who had this area evaluated.
The researchers also found that ultrasound provided an accurate depiction of treatment response in all 12 patients. "Not only can imaging help stage these cancers by assessing the lymph nodes in women who are candidates for chemotherapy, but it can also be used as a tool to assess response to chemotherapy, to determine if the treatment is effective or if a different treatment approach is necessary," said Dr. Yang the lead investigator of the study. |
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Category : Breast cancer treatment
| Posted By : Sherin | Comments[13] | Trackbacks [0] |
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| 28 Mar 2006 01:40:21 pm |
| Contraceptive Pill That Decrease The Risk Of Breast Cancer |
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Contraceptive pills that are commonly used contain a combination of estrogen and progesterone and inherently carries an increased risk of developing breast cancer. What about a contraceptive pill that would actually decrease the chance of developing breast cancer? A new contraceptive pill of this kind could be in the market in the next five years.
This pill works by stopping menstrual periods and blocking the progesterone. In addition to contraception this pill could also be used to treat pre-menstrual tension. Also this pill could be of help to women suffering from conditions like endometriosis and cut the risk of thrombosis in those who are older, overweight and who smoke.
The current combined is made up of the hormones estrogen and progesterone, with the progesterone believed to lead to increased cancer risk. The new pill works by blocking the effects of progesterone and is based on compounds used in the abortion pill, RU486.
The new pill works with much lower doses than in RU486 and blocks progesterone before a pregnancy even occurs.
David Baird, professor at Edinburgh, said current animal tests showed that the pill inhibits the introduction of breast cancer.
Source: Birmingham Post; Birmingham (UK) |
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Category : Breast cancer treatment
| Posted By : Sherin | Comments[17] | Trackbacks [0] |
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| 27 Mar 2006 12:38:54 pm |
| Weight Training Benefits Breast Cancer Survivors |
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Exercise and weight training programs significantly improve the quality of life of women who were recently treated for breast cancer, as per a new study. This study was published in the May 1, 2006 issue of CANCER, a journal of the American Cancer Society. The study indicates six months of twice weekly exercise that improved strength and body composition was enough to result in improvements in the overall physical and emotional condition of the patients. This is the first randomized trial to study the effects of weight training on quality of life in breast cancer patients.
Newly diagnosed and treated breast cancer patients often suffer from a multitude of quality of life limiting complaints, including insomnia, weight gain, chronic fatigue, depression, and anxiety. While efficacious treatments for breast cancer have progressed rapidly in recent years, developing new management strategies for these secondary complaints, often related to the treatment itself, is only a recent area of study.
Exercise has been identified as a possible treatment for quality of life-limiting symptoms. A recent review of the effect of aerobic exercise on quality of life among recently treated breast cancer survivors indicated an effect only half as large as the effect noted from six months of strength training. This study represents the first exploration of the effect of strength training on quality of life among breast cancer survivors. |
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Category : Breast cancer treatment
| Posted By : Sherin | Comments[11] | Trackbacks [0] |
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| 24 Mar 2006 01:47:03 pm |
| Age is an independent predictor for breast cancer survival |
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Researchers and physicians are aware of the fact that young woman with breast cancer have a rather poor outcome. It was thought that this is because young woman are usually diagnosed at a later stage of breast cancer with more advanced disease compared to older women. But now a study shows that youth on its own was a factor for poor prognosis.
Researchers reached this conclusion by analyzing data from 45,000 women with breast cancer. All women with early stage breast cancer (stage 1) were included in the study and the various age groups were compared. The results were surprising and indicated that being young was an independent indicator of poor survival - regardless of other factors known to be predictive of outcomes in older women such as tumor size, location, hormone receptor status, race, or treatment.
In fact the odds of dying from breast cancer rather than any other disease increased by 5% for every year of a women's age fewer than 45 when diagnosed. For example, a woman who was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 35 was 50% more likely to die of the disease. The 10-year overall survival probability of a 30-year old patient (85%) was equal to that of a 60-year old, indicating a considerably reduced life expectancy in young patients.
S. Aebi, leading author of the study comments, "These findings suggest that age in young women, more than any other factor affects the chances of survival. It is very important now to carry on more research and analyze what makes the tumors in young women different - what causes these women to die." |
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Category : Breast cancer treatment
| Posted By : Sherin | Comments[11] | Trackbacks [0] |
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| 23 Mar 2006 01:14:10 pm |
| Avastin Chemo Combo For Breast Cancer |
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Patients with advanced breast cancer may benefit from a combination of the anti-angiogenesis drug Avastin and chemotherapy. New research has shown that combination of Avastin and chemotherapy can slow down the progression of metastatic breast cancer much more effectively compared to using chemotherapy alone.
Avastin is an anti-angiogenesis drug that works by blocking the formation of new blood vessels by the growing cancer cells. Some claim that the combination of chemotherapy and Avastin works better by facilitating chemotherapy delivery to the cancer cells.
This new research studied effectiveness of Avastin in combination with Taxol. The study enrolled in total of 722 patients with advanced breast cancer. The study found that combination of Avastin and Taxol was capable of keeping the cancer stable for a period of 11.4 months in women who received the drug combo compared to 6.11 months in patients who had only been given Taxol.
Researchers say that this presents yet another option for patients with advanced breast cancer. "These results are good news for people with breast cancer," said Zon who presented the results of the trial sponsored by the U.S. National Cancer Institute at the 5th European Breast Cancer Conference in Nice, France.
Researchers are planning to take this finding to the next step. They are planning to test the combination of Avastin and Taxol for prevention of breast cancer recurrence in patients with early stage breast cancer.
Avastin is currently FDA approved for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer and advanced lung cancer, and has been shown to improve survival in the setting. |
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Category : Breast cancer treatment
| Posted By : Sherin | Comments[14] | Trackbacks [0] |
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| 22 Mar 2006 01:30:10 pm |
| Follow-up Of Breast Cancer Survivors |
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What is the best way of follow-up breast cancers survivors that would help an early detection of breast cancer recurrence? Research indicates that breast cancer survivors receive better care if they get follow-ups by two physicians, their own family doctor and an oncologist. This is better than seeing just one physician.
Read more |
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Category : Breast cancer treatment
| Posted By : Sherin | Comments[14] | Trackbacks [0] |
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| 22 Mar 2006 12:57:16 pm |
| Brca Testing May Miss Some Cases |
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Genetic testing for breast cancer is far from perfect. Recently researchers have found that genetic testing for BRCA mutations may fail to give a positive result despite the presence of an abnormality12 percent of the time.
Experts are not surprised by this high rate of error in BRCA detection. They say that the testing has never been perfect and expressions hope that this finding would stimulate development of a more acquired test for detection of BRCA mutations.
Genetic breast cancers constitute about 5% to 10% of all patients with breast cancers. Most of them inherit abnormalities in the genes called BRCA1 or BRCA2. Women who inherit one of these abnormalities may have about an 80% chance of getting breast cancer in their lifetime. These women also have high risk of developing ovarian cancer.
In a study that was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), the researchers provide the results of their analysis. The study involves genetic material from 300 women with at least four cases of female breast cancer, ovarian cancer and/or male breast cancer in their families. All of the women tested negative for mutations in their BRCA genes.
Using a highly specific technique known as MLPA, the researchers found that the genes of 52 women were mutated, including 35 who had changes on their BRCA gene. The MLPA test is not currently clinically available in the United States. Researchers are urging to make is test commercially available in the United States. They're also urging the researchers to develop more accurate genetic tests for BRCA mutations. |
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Category : General
| Posted By : Sherin | Comments[20] | Trackbacks [0] |
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| 21 Mar 2006 01:06:04 pm |
| Breast Cancer Outcome Varies Among Ethnic Groups |
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According to a new study, African American women are more likely to die from breast cancer and minorities in general do not receive the best treatment for the disease compared to white women.
This study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, highlights the issues involved with racial and socioeconomic aspects of breast cancer. The study has found and even after adjusting for socioeconomic differences, African-American are 20 percent more likely than white women to die of breast cancer.
A second study found that women in minority groups, including Hispanics, are half as likely to get complete follow-up treatment for the disease.
"Even after controlling for socioeconomic status and disease stage, African American women were 19 percent more likely to die from breast caner than white women," said Lisa Newman, Director of the Breast Care Center at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor who led the research.
The second study, conducted at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, found that minority women with early-stage breast cancer had double the risk of white women of failing to receive radiation, chemotherapy or hormonal therapy following breast cancer surgery.
The likelihood of not getting proper follow-up treatment among whites was 16 percent, much lower than the 23 percent for Hispanics and 34 percent among blacks.
Researchers found that women from minority groups were indeed more likely to have other illnesses and had less insurance than white women, suggesting that these factors could influence a physician's decision to prescribe treatment and a patient's ability to actually receive treatment. |
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Category : General
| Posted By : Sherin | Comments[12] | Trackbacks [0] |
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| 20 Mar 2006 01:29:52 pm |
| Breast Asymmetry Predicts Breast Cancer |
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Those women who have asymmetry of the breasts may have a higher chance of developing breast cancer compared to those women who have symmetrical breasts as per new research findings. In a study published in the Journal Breast Cancer Research shows that asymmetry of the breast could be used as an independent predictor of breast cancer. Those women with asymmetry of the breasts have a 1.5 fold increased risk of developing breast cancer for every 100ml difference in breast asymmetry compared to women who have symmetrical breasts.
Study leader Diane Scutt from the University of Liverpool, UK and her colleagues studied the mammograms of 252 women who did not have breast cancer at the time of the mammography, but later on developed the disease. The control group consisted of 252 women matched for age who underwent mammography at the same time, but did not develop breast cancer.
The results show that, at the time the mammography was done, women who went on to develop breast cancer had higher breast volume asymmetry than controls. The authors found that the relative odds of breast cancer increased by 1.5 for a 100ml increase in absolute breast volume asymmetry, after adjusting for other potential risk factors. They conclude that breast asymmetry is a significant independent predictor of breast cancer, and could be a reliable indicator of future breast disease. |
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Category : General
| Posted By : Sherin | Comments[13] | Trackbacks [0] |
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| 17 Mar 2006 01:22:04 pm |
| Towards Early Detection Of Breast Cancer |
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Detecting small amounts of proteins in the blood is very important in the diagnosis of many diseases including breast cancer. Now researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have developed a revolutionary new technique for detecting small amounts of proteins in the blood. This technique is expected to improve accuracy of many tests including blood tests aimed at early detection of breast cancer.
This technique may also help in the detection of other diseases such as, Alzheimer's disease, prion diseases, and possibly psychiatric diseases, since protein detection using this technique relatively easy and more accurate compared with the current methodology, including the widely used ELISA (enzyme-linked immunoadsorbent assay).
The new method is called FACTT, short for Florescent Amplification Catalyzed by T7-polymerase Technique. This technique is 100,000 times more sensitive than the commonly used ELISA.
"The current ELISA tests can only detect proteins when they are in high abundance," says Zhang. "But the problem is that many of the functional proteins - those that have a role in determining your health - exist in very low amounts until diseases are apparent and cannot be detected or measured at early stages of medical pathology. It was important to develop a technique that can detect these rare molecules to detect abnormalities at an early stage." |
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Category : General
| Posted By : Sherin | Comments[18] | Trackbacks [0] |
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| 16 Mar 2006 01:37:58 pm |
| Ginseng May Improve Breast Cancer Outcome |
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Researchers from Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center have found that Ginseng, one of the most widely used herbs in traditional Chinese medicine, may improve survival and quality of life after a diagnosis of breast cancer. These findings come from a recent epidemiological study, led by Xiao-Ou Shu, M.D., Ph.D., and is published online in the American Journal of Epidemiology.
Ginseng is a slow-growing perennial herb whose roots have been used in traditional Chinese medicine for more than 2,000 years. The two main classes of ginseng - red and white - have different biological effects, according to traditional Chinese medicine theory. White, or unprocessed, ginseng is used over long periods to promote general health, vitality and longevity. Red, or processed, ginseng provides a much stronger effect and is used for short periods to aid in disease recovery.
Both varieties of ginseng contain more than 30 chemicals, called ginsenosides, which have anti-tumor effects in cell culture and animal studies, suggesting that the herbs may provide specific benefits to cancer patients. In fact, ginseng use has been increasing among cancer patients in recent years, particularly in women diagnosed with breast cancer.
Shu and colleagues found that before diagnosis, about a quarter of patients (27.4 percent) reported using ginseng regularly. After diagnosis, that percentage jumped to 62.8 percent, the researchers found. They also found significant improvements in both survival and quality of life measures in patients who used ginseng. "When patients used ginseng prior to diagnosis, they tended to have higher survival," Shu explained. "Ginseng use after cancer diagnosis was related to improved quality of life." |
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Category : General
| Posted By : Sherin | Comments[10] | Trackbacks [0] |
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| 15 Mar 2006 01:28:11 pm |
| Desingning Car For Breast Cancer Research |
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Designing fashion dresses for woman is the passion for Andy The-Anh. Now he is focusing his attention on woman's health issues. For years he has dressed women in the latest fashions but this week, for the first time, he'll design a car to increase the awareness of breast cancer.
The-Anh has re-designed the interior of a 2006 Ford Fusion to help the Ford Motor Company of Canada, Limited, raise funds for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.
The-Anh's Fusion will be on display starting today for L'Oreal Fashion Week at the Liberty Grand in Toronto. Between March 13 th and 23rd, people can bid on the one-of-a-kind vehicle on eBay Canada, with all proceeds going towards helping create a future without breast cancer.
"We truly appreciate the work of Andy The-Anh and Ford of Canada. What an exceptional way to get people involved in building awareness of breast cancer and our efforts to create a future without it," said Mark Hierlihy, National Director of Development, Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. "I think people will really have fun competing online for such an exclusive car, so please, bid now and bid often!"
Source: The auto channel |
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Category : Breast cancer treatment
| Posted By : Sherin | Comments[14] | Trackbacks [0] |
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| 14 Mar 2006 12:58:11 pm |
| Eating Fish Does Not Cause Breast Cancer |
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Recently there has been some news in the media indicating that toxins contained in fatty fish such as farmed fish may increase the risk of breast cancer. Now there is a reassuring study that suggests otherwise.
A large and extensive new study from Europe suggests that eating fish has no relationship with breast cancer. The study showed eating fish neither increases nor reduces the risk of breast cancer.
The European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) performed this study, which involved data from 310,671 female participants. The study participants included women from ten European countries and the study lasted for a period of 6-12 years. Study participants were aged between 25 and 70 years. The participants completed a dietary questionnaire between 1992-98 and were followed up for incidence of breast cancer for a median of 6.4 yr
The researchers noted that among the study group 4,776 women developed invasive breast cancer during the study period. Further analysis of the data showed that women who ate fish had no increased or reduced risk of developing breast cancer.
The researchers argue that although the period of follow-up is relatively short, the results provide no evidence for an association between fish intake and breast cancer risk. The study was recently published in the International Journal of Cancer. |
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Category : Breast cancer treatment
| Posted By : Sherin | Comments[12] | Trackbacks [0] |
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| 13 Mar 2006 12:45:32 pm |
| Grape Juice May Inhibit Breast Tumors |
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A recent study has indicated that Concord grape juice may inhibit the formation of breast tumors in laboratory rats while also reducing the amount of DNA damage to mammary glands. This new study appears in the latest issue of Cancer Letters.
Investigators looked at the early stage of cancer development and observed that consuming Concord grape juice would suppress the growth of breast tumors in laboratory mice. They also found that Concord grape juice reduced damage to the DNA of the mammary gland. The study was led by Keith Singletary, Ph.D., Professor of Nutrition, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Illinois. He says that in a related previous study, they saw a similar effect in what they call the promotion stage, which is a later stage of cancer development. Singletary claims that taken together, these results are very interesting merit additional study.
Concord grape juice contains various Active ingredients including phytochemicals. These can block the initiation stage of tumor formation. Cancer develops over an extended period of time in at least two stages - initiation and promotion. The initiation, or early stage of cancer, may occur when there is damage to a cell's DNA resulting from a variety of factors including the exposure to carcinogens or to oxygen free radical species. The promotion stage occurs when these "initiated" cells are then stimulated to reproduce faster than surrounding normal cells. When this study results are combined with the previous one, which showed effect on the later stage of cancer development, Concord grape juice appears to have significant suppressive effect on both stages of cancer development. |
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Category : General
| Posted By : Sherin | Comments[12] | Trackbacks [0] |
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| 10 Mar 2006 01:25:08 pm |
| How Landmines Are Related to Breast Cancer? |
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You might be wondering what in world landmines have to do with breast cancer. I am going to tell you today how the technique of landmine detection could be used in breast cancer detection.
This is a radical new idea to screen for breast cancer and uses microwave radar technology to detect early breast cancer. Researchers are hoping that this would save thousands of lives.
It's all happening in UK. Bristol-based Micrima Ltd, a spin-out from Bristol University, has received a £150,000 investment from NESTA (the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts) to help the company develop this innovative technology. This is part of a funding round worth £475,000 with co-investment from private investors and Sulis, the University Challenge Fund managed by Quester.
As you all know, at this mammography remains the main screening technique for breast cancer worldwide. Each year 1.5 million women are screened for breast cancer in the UK. Mammography is best suitable for women over 50 when breast tissue is less fibrous. The new method involves no radiation but instead uses a radar technology and is suitable for screening younger women. This new technique absolutely has no health risks.
Micrima's microwave radar technology is poised to revolutionize breast screening as it can offer a quick method of imaging which may help avoid unnecessary and expensive biopsies.
The company's innovative technology was originally developed for detecting buried landmines. The similarities between mine detection and breast screening are striking. Both involve the discovery of a discrete object whose electrical properties are different from the surrounding medium. At microwave frequencies, tumors contrast well with normal breast tissue. |
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Category : General
| Posted By : Sherin | Comments[10] | Trackbacks [0] |
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| 09 Mar 2006 01:30:37 pm |
| Please Save My Mother |
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Story and picture courtesy of Daily mail
I have previously blogged about Ann Marie Rogers, who had gone to the High Court demanding the NHS to provide funding for Herceptin for her breast cancer treatment, but unfortunately lost her case.
You may also have read the post regarding Ms. Jayne Sullivan who has spent nights in the foyer of the Welsh Assembly demanding Herceptin treatment.
Now the Herceptin story is taking a more emotional turn with a 10-year-old girl pleading for the drug to be given to her mother so that she would be able to see her mother when she grows up.
Katie Morgan says, "We would like my mum to be here when we grow up." She wrote an emotional letter after her parents Susan Morgan, 41, was diagnosed with breast cancer.
Susan and Robert Morgan would have to raise £47,000 to pay for Herceptin because this drug is not available through NHS.
In her letter Katie Morgan writes, "My name is Katie Morgan. I am 10 years old, I have two sisters called Lucy, who is seven, and Hannah, who is six, and the sweetest little baby brother, who is 19 months old.
"I am writing to you because my mum has had breast cancer last year (sic). Please help us. We would like my mum to be here when we grow up."
Katie also writes how she had started to sell eggs from her parents' farm to raise cash for the drug.
In his reply to the letter, Mr Paterson pledged to carry on fighting for the family. He raised the issue in the House of Commons earlier this week.
Mr Paterson said he had also written to the primary care trust and Rosie Winterton, the minister responsible for cancer services, about Mrs Morgan's case. |
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Category : Breast cancer treatment
| Posted By : Sherin | Comments[22] | Trackbacks [0] |
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| 08 Mar 2006 01:21:21 pm |
| Surfing For The Brave Hearts |
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The story and the picture courtesy of CBS News
Lee "Gidget" Ferrera has many accomplishments. Many know that she is an excellent surfer, a second-degree black belt, wife, mother of two teenage girls, and an emergency room nurse. But the fact many don't know is that she is in the midst of a battle against breast cancer.
Eastern Surfing Association held its mid-winter competition last month in the waves off Narragansett, R.I. last month. . This even which was held on one of the coldest weekend of the year, with the water in the 36-degree range affected many and the participants ranged from a ten-year-old girl to a 69-year-old woman. This contest is meant only for the brave hearts. Among those who took part was, Lee "Gidget" Ferrera, of nearby Wakefield, R.I.
Ferrera's grandmother died of the disease, her mother survived it, and Ferrera is about halfway through chemotherapy, taking each wave as it comes.
"I had the option of doing treatments over 24 weeks," she says, "or I could do 8 treatments over 16 weeks and I was like, 'Bring it on. Let's get this show on the road and get it over with.' "
Despite Ferrera's illness, she keeps up a pace that would make most women collapse, working twelve-hour shifts in the ER, and as mom to Erica and Elana.
Read more..... |
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Category : Breast cancer treatment
| Posted By : Sherin | Comments[11] | Trackbacks [0] |
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| 07 Mar 2006 01:18:51 pm |
| Breast Cancer Fundraiser At Muskoka Resort |
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The Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation is hosting a fundraiser to raise awareness and funds for the Research and Treatment of Breast Cancer. Severn Lodge has been officially chosen as the location for the event, which is called "Getaway for the Cure". This event would provide participants with the unique opportunity to have a fun-filled weekend at one of Ontario's upscale premier waterfront resorts while helping Fight against Breast Cancer.
The "Getaway for the Cure" weekend has been scheduled for June 2nd to 4th, 2006, and has a number of renowned guest speakers who are involved in Cancer Research and care. This weekend is expected to have a mix of breast cancer awareness programs and a chance for supporters to have some fun.
This is the second annual Cure Weekend for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation and would consist of a series of fundraisers and activities including raffles, company donations, and Breast Cancer Bracelets. In addition, a portion of each reservation package goes towards the Fight against Breast Cancer.
Festivities include a Muskoka beach party, nightly entertainment, spa sessions, wine tasting, boat cruises, sea plane rides, hand writing analysis, belly dancing, horseback riding, and hiking. Renowned guest speakers Bryan Farnum and Dr. Alvin Pettle will be making presentations at the event.
Severn Lodge is one of the few remaining classic Muskoka Resorts in Ontario. The lodge has all the modern conveniences and upscale accommodations that the wealthy enjoy during the summer months, while still maintaining the ambiance and history of Muskoka.
For more information:
Visit www.severnlodge.on.ca
Or call 1 800 461 5817
There are a variety of packages available starting at $299 per person, including two nights accommodation with two breakfasts, 2 lunches, and 2 dinners. Attendees are asked to each sell a minimum of $100 in raffle tickets and $20 in Pink Cancer Bracelets to help generate Funding for Breast Cancer Research. |
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Category : General
| Posted By : Sherin | Comments[10] | Trackbacks [0] |
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| 06 Mar 2006 12:59:39 pm |
| Revolutionary Blood Test To Detects Breast Cancer |
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Biomarker Technologies has announced the launch of a new clinical trial to evaluate a revolutionary blood test that may change the way we detect breast cancer. In previous clinical trials this test was shown to be very effective in detecting breast cancer. It's accuracy in detecting breast cancer was shown to be significantly higher than that of mammograms.
This new method of breast cancer detection is based on evaluation of blood for various cancer related biomarkers. These biomarkers are specific proteins having concentrations that are measurably different in patients with breast cancer. The BT Test is a first-of-its-kind blood diagnostic that detects the presence of breast cancer at the molecular level.
Researchers are planning to enroll 430 women referred for biopsy and 125 women referred for other types of cancer, and 300 healthy subjects into the study. Investigators expect that be study will be completed in four months. Collection of blood samples is expected to begin during the early part of March 2006.
"This clinical study will move the BT Test forward in its FDA approval as first a supplementary and then a stand-alone screening tool for early breast cancer detection," said William Gartner, CEO and President of Biomarker Technologies. "With fewer false negative and false positive diagnoses, this cost-effective blood test may not only offer vastly superior early-detection capabilities in routine examinations, but may also help patients avoid unnecessary needle biopsies." |
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Category : General
| Posted By : Sherin | Comments[10] | Trackbacks [0] |
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| 03 Mar 2006 01:27:39 pm |
| One Day Radiation May Become An Option |
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Doctors in Canada are studying the effectiveness of permanent radiation seed implants following lumpectomy as an alternative to whole or partial breast irradiation for early-stage breast cancer patients, according to a recently published study in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology Physics, the official journal of ASTRO, the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology. This type of radiation would cut treatment time for certain patients from several weeks to one day.
For early stage breast cancer, women often undergo a lumpectomy to remove the tumor followed by radiation therapy to kill any cancer cells that may remain. Most women undergo external beam radiation, which is given every day, Monday through Friday, for six to eight weeks. Doctors have been experimenting with ways to shorten this treatment. One technique used by a growing number of radiation oncologists involves the use of temporary radiation implants. These radiation sources are delivered through a catheter into the breast, usually twice a day for one week.
In this study, the first of its kind in the world, doctors wanted to see if it was possible to use permanent implants, like what many men receive to treat prostate cancer, to combat the cancer with only one treatment. These implants, about the size of a grain of rice, would not be removed daily like with the temporary implants. Rather, the radioactive seeds would deliver radiation to the breast area for a number of weeks until they were no longer radioactive. The advantage over the temporary implants is that the patient only has to undergo one surgical procedure to receive the radiation, versus 10 treatments over one week for temporary implants. |
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Category : Breast cancer treatment
| Posted By : Sherin | Comments[10] | Trackbacks [0] |
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| 02 Mar 2006 01:08:50 pm |
| Treating Breast Cancer With Heat |
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The term hyperthermia is used in the medical literature to indicate a state of higher temperature compared to the normal body temperature. Previous research has evaluated the effectiveness of hyperthermia in the treatment of cancer. It has been shown that hyperthermia may make radiation therapy more effective. However previous clinical trials only yielded mixed results. The major hurdle in using hyperthermia for the treatment of cancer have been the difficulty in providing high enough temperature for the tumor without causing undue adverse effects for the rest of the body. Improvement in technology has made it possible to provide hyperthermia locally without causing significant damage to the rest of the body.
Duke University has recently conducted a study in which the effectiveness of hyperthermia in combination with radiation has been tested. In this trial 21 woman with locally advanced breast cancer were treated with a combination of radiation therapy and hyperthermia. The hyperthermia was delivered using a special pool of water warmed by heat waves.
Most of the woman who had combination of radiation therapy and hyperthermia had significant reduction in the size of their tumor. At least in some women tumor decreased to such an extent that a lumpectomy was possible. And the surprising fact was that women who had combination of heat therapy and radiation therapy in fact actually experienced lesser side effects than that would be expected with the standard radiation therapy alone. |
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Category : Breast cancer treatment
| Posted By : Sherin | Comments[15] | Trackbacks [0] |
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| 01 Mar 2006 01:36:11 pm |
| Antiperspirant Breast Cancer Connection |
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Photo: antiperspirants containing aluminum (courtesy of Northwest Kidney Centers)
Does regular use of antiperspirants increase your risk of developing breast cancer?
The claim that antiperspirant may cause breast cancer have been in circulation in the Internet and popular press for some time, despite the fact that there are no good clinical trial data to substantiate this claim.
Now to fuel this argument a new study has suggested that, chemicals contained in antiperspirants could break through the skin and mimic estrogen. Since estrogen has a central role in the causation of breast cancer this new finding may suggest a new link between use of antiperspirants and breast cancer. Doctors and researchers are urging to have more research before a definite conclusion is drawn on this issue.
It is worth noting that one of the best studies addressing this issue, which was published in 2002, found no link between antiperspirant or deodorant use and breast cancer risk. In this study researchers compared antiperspirant usage patterns among roughly 800 breast cancer patients and a similar number of women without the disease. These researchers found no link between antiperspirant use and cancer and believe that this matter should be closed.
Not all researchers agree this matter should be closed. Dr Philippa Darbre, from the University of Reading, calls for further study to evaluate whether antiperspirants could increase the risk of breast cancer. She says that antiperspirants are a major source of human exposure to aluminum. These products are often sprayed into the armpits concentrating exposure near to the breast. Dr Darbre said there is evidence that accumulation of aluminum and cadmium may also be linked to an increased risk of breast cancer. Now with new finding that antiperspirants may act like estrogen, more research should be performed to exclude the link between antiperspirants and breast cancer. |
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Category : General
| Posted By : Sherin | Comments[9] | Trackbacks [0] |
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