Breast Cancer

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Consistent with previous research, data presented Friday has found that a woman diagnosed with breast cancer is more likely to undergo mastectomy of the healthy breast, called prophylactic mastectomy, if she has an MRI and biopsy of that breast during treatment of the cancerous breast

Women with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) represent a growing number of breast cancer survivors worldwide, living often for many years with the challenges of ongoing treatment, debilitating side effects, and isolation. They advocate for themselves as they are able, but according to Musa Mayer, a metastatic breast cancer advocate, women with metastatic breast cancer around the world need increased attention, resources, and information on clinical trials that may prolong their lives.

A new drug called denosumab may soon give Zometa (zoledronic acid) competition as the standard of care in treating bone metastases in patients with advanced breast cancer. Patients taking denosumab not only had fewer bone complications, but they took longer to develop compared with Zometa, reported researchers of a phase 3 study presented Thursday at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.

An enzyme called CYP2D6 converts tamoxifen to its active form, and some research has suggested that if the enzyme is blocked, tamoxifen won’t be as effective, thus causing patients to recur sooner than women with normal enzyme activity.

When Dale Eastman was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer in 1990 at age 49, it turned the travel agent and mother into a driven advocate.

For ER-positive breast cancer, researchers look to find which drugs work best, how they should be sequenced, and how long they should be taken.

Bone Drug in Limbo

The FDA decides to wait on reviewing Prolia (denosumab) for reducing treatment-related bone loss in breast and prostate cancer patients, but a new study may shed light on the drug’s importance.

Despite the gains noted in the overall number of Medicare patients undergoing colonoscopy, researchers continue to see differences in colorectal cancer screening rates among certain groups, particularly minorities.