Breast Cancer

Erin W. Hofstatter, MD, assistant professor of medicine (medical oncology), co-director, Genetic Counseling Program, Yale Cancer Center, discusses a study to determine if perceived personal breast cancer risk was associated with adherence to healthy lifestyle habit.

Five years of tamoxifen continues to offer protection against breast cancer, reducing the risk of breast cancer by 29% in otherwise healthy women at high risk of the disease who have been followed now for 16 to 22 years.

Despite research findings that toxicities outweigh benefits when women over the age of 70 are treated with radiation for their early-stage breast cancer, the treatment remains commonplace 10 years later, a new study has found.

An increasing focus in oncology care is on survivorship and quality-of-life issues that arise once patients are living beyond treatment. For female breast cancer patients, important survivorship issues include sexual and reproductive health.

A group of researchers looking to better equip patients to be self-managers of their cancer have developed a new tool to help patients communicate their treatment goals more effectively.

A genomic test (also called a genomic assay) analyzes the activity of a group of genes linked to the risk of a particular disease.

Jessica Goldberg, MSN, adult gerontology nurse practitioner, fellow in palliative medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, discusses a study on creating a successful cancer self-management intervention for patients with breast cancer.

The poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor veliparib exhibits antitumor activity and is safe and tolerable on a continuous dosing schedule when used for the treatment of patients with BRCA-positive and BRCA–wild type tumors.

Talk with almost any breast cancer survivor, and they're likely to bring up the topic of "chemobrain," that fuzzy, murky state that patients blame for impaired memory.

Researchers have identified a new way to boost the enrollment of Latina patients with breast cancer in clinical trials via a culturally sensitive video, a tailored booklet, and the help of a patient navigator.

A systematic review of published results from 203 randomized clinical trials, involving more than 80 different integrative therapies, has yielded evidence-based recommendations for clinicians and their patients with breast cancer about which of these therapies may be most helpful to manage their symptoms.

In May 2014, ASCO issued guidelines recommending the administration of adjuvant tamoxifen for 10 years in women with stage I-III hormone receptor (HR)-positive breast cancer, based on data from the collection of 5 clinical trials.

October 13 was National Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day. Managing Editor Claire Nixon talks with oncology counselor Sage Bolte, Ph.D., about how to deal with October's pink onslaught if you're living with metastasis and Breastcancer.org Medical Adviser Brian Wojciechowski, M.D., on where we are today with metastatic treatment options.

New research has identified a genetic variant that helps reduce the risk of breast cancer in some Latina patients by 40% to 80%.

Even though breast cancer predominantly affects white women, breast cancer outcomes are worse among black women. But a new study suggests that enrollment in a federal program may help reduce racial disparities among these patients.

Only 10% of breast cancer is hereditary. Which means 90% is not. Now, you can't change your genes, but healthier lifestyle choices can make a difference.

A new study has found that nearly one third of cancer patients suffer from anxiety or other mental health challenges, with breast cancer patients, head and neck cancer patients and melanoma patients suffering the most.

New research suggests that exposure to dim light at night may cause breast cancer patients to become resistant to certain types of therapy.

Many studies have found a link between regular exercise and a lower risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer or breast cancer coming back (recurrence). As a result, the American Cancer Society and many doctors recommend that women who've been diagnosed with breast cancer, as well as those who haven't, exercise regularly – about 4 to 5 hours per week at a moderate intensity level. (Brisk walking is considered moderate intensity exercise.)

To address the question of whether axillary dissection is necessary in older women, researchers in Milan, Italy recruited 238 women aged 65-80 years with cT1cN0 breast cancer and randomized them to receive conservative surgery with or without axillary node dissection.

More than one-third of patients with breast or ovarian cancer or a family history of those diseases who also saw a genetic counselor did not pursue genetic testing for BRCA 1 or BRCA 2 mutations

A new analysis of the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NSABP) B-32 trial presented at the ASTRO 56th Annual Meeting offers substantial evidence that treatment with radiation therapy does not increase the incidence of lymphedema in patients with node-negative breast cancer.

Women who received the hormone suppressor goserelin (Zoladex) along with their chemotherapy were significantly less likely to develop premature ovarian failure and were more likely to have successful pregnancies, than women who received chemotherapy alone, according to findings from the federally funded phase III S0230/POEMS clinical trial.

About 5% to 10% of breast cancers are thought to be hereditary, caused by abnormal genes passed from parent to child.

One of the first studies to prospectively examine women's breast surgery preferences has revealed that newly diagnosed women with breast cancer who decide to undergo contralateral prophylactic mastectomy (CPM) aren't relying on evidence-based information, highlighting the need for interdisciplinary patient education and communication.

With more and more data supporting the association between actress Angelina Jolie's double mastectomy and an increase in the amount of patients seeking genetic testing, the attention is on genetic counselors to improve their intake model to more efficiently handle the increased demand.

A new study has shown that while there was an increase in the percentage of women diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer undergoing a double mastectomy, the increase was not associated with a lower risk of death compared to breast-conserving surgery plus radiation.

The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) has released a new clinical practice guideline on the treatment of patients with advanced HER2-negative breast cancer.

Helpful eating tips for women who are going through breast cancer treatment

Every year, Cancer Hope Network (CHN) awards a group or individual who has made a difference through their own courageous battle with cancer, or who has helped others through the ordeal of treatment. The Committee evaluates nominees on how they made a difference through a display of courage, spirit, inspiration, or support in the battle with cancer.