Breast Health
All Breast Health articles
566 articles · showing 301–330
New Breast Cancer Screening Exam in Development (dateline January 14, 2002)
Image courtesy of TechniScan, Inc. A new breast cancer screening exam called SafeScan is currently being developed using a combination of digital imaging and ultrasound technology to produce enhanced images of the breast. Though the exam has not yet received approval by the U.S.
President Clinton Establishes New Standards to Protect Patient Privacy (dateline January 5, 2002)
A class of drugs called aromatase inhibitors may be more effective than the standard drug tamoxifen at treating breast cancer, according to studies presented at the 24th annual San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.
Study Finds Comprehensive Genetic Assessments Important for Women at High Risk For Breast Cancer (dateline December 18, 2001)
Some women who fear that they will develop breast cancer due to a strong family history of the disease or other factors choose to have their breasts removed to lower their cancer risk.
Clinical Trial Will Test Effectiveness of Herceptin in Early-Stage Breast Cancer Patients Prior to Surgery (dateline December 17, 2001)
The drug Herceptin (generic name, trastuzumab) is currently used to treat women with advanced breast cancer whose cancer cells carry extra copies of the HER2 gene, which can make the disease particularly aggressive. Now, for the first time, researchers from the M.D.
Study: Ductal Lavage Effective at Examining Breast Duct Cells for Pre-Cancerous Changes (dateline December 6, 2001)
A procedure that involves analyzing the breast tissue cells in the milk ducts for suspicious changes continues to hold promise as a method of identifying women at high risk of breast cancer, according to a newly published study.
Researchers Find No Link Between Tamoxifen and Depression (dateline December 3, 2001)
Many women who take the drug tamoxifen to help prevent breast cancer report an onset of depression during treatment. However, after examining more than 11,000 women who participated in a U.S.
Tamoxifen Found Effective at Preventing Breast Cancer In Women with BRCA2 Gene Mutations, Not in Women with BRCA1 Mutations (dateline November 20, 2001)
Researchers know that some women carry abnormal forms of certain genes, called BRCA1 (breast cancer gene 1) and BRCA2 (breast cancer gene 2), that put them at higher than average risk for breast cancer.
Researchers Study Which Breast Cancer Patients Truly Need Chemotherapy After Surgery (dateline November 7, 2001)
Researchers are investigating whether performing a special genetic test on breast cancer tumors removed during surgery can help determine which women should receive chemotherapy as part of their treatment.
Significant Number of Women Who Undergo Breast Cancer Treatment Experience Psychological Distress (dateline November 6, 2001)
In a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Public Health Association, researchers said that breast cancer treatment can cause psychological problems and distress for approximately one third of patients.
Study Explores Why Pregnancy at An Early Age Reduces Breast Cancer Risk (dateline October 31, 2001)
Researchers have known for some time that having children at a young age decreases a woman’s risk of breast cancer. Now, a new study provides data that may help explain why this is the case. The research involved studying the levels of a tumor suppressor protein called p53 in rats.
Study: Family History Not a Significant Risk Factor for Breast Cancer (dateline October 30, 2001)
Many women fear that if their mothers and sisters had breast cancer they will develop the disease too. However, a new study that examined data from approximately 160,000 women found that a family history of breast cancer is not a significant risk factor for the disease.
New, Less Invasive Breast Biopsy Approach Receives FDA Approval to Remove Benign Tumors (dateline October 25, 2001)
A new breast biopsy approach that involves freezing and destroying benign breast tumors called fibroadenomas has recently received approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Long-Term Study Finds Factors Associated with Lymphedema in Breast Cancer Patients (dateline October 24, 2001)
A study that followed breast cancer patients 20 years after treatment finds that two factors appear to be associated with the high prevalence of lymphedema (chronic arm swelling): arm infection/injury and weight gain.
Study Finds Vitamin D Gene Variation May Increase Risk of Breast Cancer (dateline October 22, 2001)
Some experts have suggested that vitamin D may provide a protective effect against breast cancer, and in certain cases, help treat the disease.
Majority of Women Survive Breast Cancer, British Survey Finds Disease Awareness Increasing (dateline October 21, 2001)
According to a British survey, 70% of women diagnosed with breast cancer survive the disease.
Discounted Mammograms Offered to Women on National Mammography Day (dateline October 9, 2001)
Friday, October 19, 2001 has been designated National Mammography Day in the United States. On this day, more than 2,200 mammography facilities will offer discounted or free mammograms to help promote the importance of early breast cancer detection.
Study Finds Increase in Outpatient Mastectomies for Breast Cancer (dateline October 8, 2001)
A newly published study found that more breast cancer patients are receiving mastectomies on an outpatient basis than in the past.
UK Study Sees More Women Opting for Aggressive Screening Versus Breast Cancer Prevention Trials (dateline September 25, 2001)
Researchers in the United Kingdom are concerned about the low level of participation in breast cancer prevention clinical trials.
Warming the Skin of Patients Before Surgery May Decrease Wound Infection (dateline September 20, 2001)
Many patients who undergo surgery are given antibiotics prior to their operations to help reduce the risk of infections. However, British researchers have discovered that warming the skin before surgery may be a more effective method of decreasing wound infections.
Nuclear Medicine Breast Cancer Test May Be Helpful for Some Women, Particularly in Those with Dense Breasts (dateline September 19, 2001)
Several recent studies show that nuclear medicine breast imaging (also called scintimammography) may be useful as a supplement to mammography in helping to detect breast cancer.
Update: More U.S. States Approved to Participate in Breast and Cervical Cancer Prevention and Treatment Act to Help Low Income Women (dateline September 13, 2001)
Nine more U.S. states received approval to provide aid to low income women diagnosed with breast or cervical cancer through a federally funded program.
Large Study on Digital Mammography Set to Begin (dateline September 10, 2001)
The largest federally-funded clinical trial on medical imaging will soon be underway to determine whether digital mammography is equal or superior to standard film mammography in helping to detect breast cancer. While the first digital mammography system has already gained U.S.
Researchers Investigate Whether Flaxseed Can Help Prevent Breast Cancer (dateline September 4, 2001)
The first study to show that the dietary supplement flaxseed may help prevent breast cancer in post-menopausal women was recently presented at the national meeting of the American Chemical Society. Flaxseed has long been cultivated from the flax plant to make foods and linens.
Further Data Show Computer-Aided Detection (CAD) Helps Find More Breast Cancers on Mammograms (dateline August 30, 2001)
A study of nearly 13,000 women confirms previous research that shows computer software helps radiologists detect more breast cancers on mammogram films.
New Drug Zometa Treats Complication of Breast Cancer, Seeking FDA Approval for Breast Cancer That Has Spread to Bone (dateline August 28, 2001)
The drug Zometa (brand name, zoledronic acid) recently received approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat elevated calcium levels (hypercalcemia of malignancy, HCM).
Scientists Investigate Treatments for Breast Cancer That Has Spread to the Bone (dateline August 21, 2001)
A recent study found that a drug called ibandronate successfully reduced the number of breast cancer cells in the bones of mice.
Study: Alcohol May Further Increase Breast Cancer Risk in Women with Family History of the Disease (dateline August 14, 2001)
A new study finds that women who consume alcoholic beverages on a daily basis may be putting themselves at higher risk of breast cancer if they have a close relative who has had breast cancer.
New, Shorter Radiation Method Shows Promise for Treating Breast Cancer Patients After Lumpectomy (dateline August 13, 2001)
Most breast cancer patients who have lumpectomies—breast conserving surgery to remove a cancerous tumor and surrounding margin of normal breast tissue—are also treated with radiation therapy to help destroy any lingering cancer cells after surgery.
Study Finds MRI Effective at Screening Younger Women at High Breast Cancer Risk (dateline August 8, 2001)
A new study finds that screening younger women at high risk of breast cancer with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be highly effective at detecting the disease. In fact, in the study, MRI was more accurate than mammography in screening this population of women for breast cancer.
Canadian Report Outlines Benefits and Challenges of Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy (dateline August 1, 2001)
Surgeons often remove some or all of the axillary (armpit) lymph nodes in women with breast cancer to "stage" the cancer and determine the most appropriate treatment options.The standard surgery for removing these lymph nodes is called axillary node dissection.