Breast Cancer

One of the most visible side effects of chemotherapy is hair loss—a problem so distressing that some patients refuse treatment to avoid going bald.Studies have suggested that cooling the scalp during and immediately after treatment may help reduce hair loss. When the skin is cold, less blood flows to hair follicles, reducing their exposure to the drugs. One product, the Penguin Cold Cap System (manufactured by Medical Specialties of California UK), is billed as preventing hair loss in 80 percent of patients.

Women diagnosed with breast cancer could lower their risk of recurrence by cutting back on alcohol consumption, a new analysis suggests. Obesity itself is known to raise the risk of breast cancer, but a study described Thursday suggests that, after diagnosis, women who are overweight may fare worse than their normal-weight peers.

Studies have shown that Avastin, an angiogenesis inhibitor, has delayed disease progression in breast cancer patients, but a survival benefit has yet to be seen.

Two Komen advocates talk about their work on the local and global scenes

Screening with breast MRI may be particularly useful in patients with a high-risk lesion who also have a family history of breast cancer, according to a preliminary analysis of research presented at a poster session on Saturday at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.

Every year, CURE invites one advocate who is attending the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium to serve as a guest blogger. This year, readers will be hearing from Bev Parker, PhD, a 24-year breast cancer survivor who is attending the symposium for the seventh year.

Recap of the 2008 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.

By identifying women at low risk for breast cancer, resources can be redirected to high-risk women, thus lowering the incidence of breast cancer, said Jack Cuzick, PhD, on Wednesday during an educational session about breast cancer prevention. It’s a goal, he said, that should be achievable within 10 to 20 years.

Women taking bisphosphonates have less chance of developing invasive breast cancer than women who don’t take the bone-strengthening drugs.

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.

A drug that treats liver and kidney cancers delayed locally recurrent or metastatic HER2-negative breast cancer in two phase 2 studies presented Friday at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium

Studies have suggested that MRI, along with mammography, is the best means of detecting breast cancer earlier among high-risk women.

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.

Krysti Hughett shares her experience as a breast cancer survivor and 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.

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.

Sexuality and intimacy issues often overlooked in breast cancer survivors.

Chronic inflammation causes cancer. Find out how and what's being done about it.

Cooling hot flashes brought on by cancer treatments.

Women ignite change across the globe.

Tamoxifen and antidepressants may not mix.