According to new research published by the University of British Columbia, breast cancer may not be exactly what we thought it was. Researchers say that breast tumors, previously classified as breast cancer, may be one of ten different tumor types, which are simply located in the breast. The scientists studied different tumors at the molecular level, and discovered that although tumor may look similar on the surface, they are often quite different.
According to a study recently published by the American Association of Cancer Research, eating two and half cups or more of green or cruciferous vegetables may significantly increase survival rates among breast cancer patients. Veggies reputed to have this effect include broccoli, cauliflower, kale and spinach.
According to a new study, older women with recently diagnosed breast cancer may not have to undergo radiation treatment. The study stated that older women with luminal A subtype (ER-positive, PR-positive, HER2-negative and low Ki-67) breast cancer may safely avoid post-surgery radiation therapy. Researchers came to this conclusion from patient evidence that found that radiation therapy did not have a lower recurrence rate than did tamoxifen alone.
A new type of breast implant was recently created by Brown University researchers, which is reputed to repel cancerous cells. What makes this implant different is its ridged surface. The scientists created a surface for the breast implant that is made of a surgical grade polymer, which has microscopic raised lumps, similar to a bed of nails. This surface deters malignant breast cancer cells from attaching to the implant.
A new treatment for early breast cancer tumors is heading to clinical trials. The device, called a GammaPod, is reputed to destroy breast tumors with “no needle, knife, pain, anesthesia, and no scar.” Instead of a three month regimen of chemotherapy, often after a lumpectomy, breast cancer patients would only have to come to the hospital for 3 intensive radiation treatments.
Most Popular Posts
Tumor Paint to Transform Cancer Surgery 
One of the biggest fears of cancer patients undergoing surgery to remove a malignancy is that, despite his or her best efforts, the surgeon will unwittingly leave some cancer cells behind. Removing every malignant cell can prove challenging, as cancer has a way of embedding itself in surrounding tissue and spreading throughout the body.
Driven by the same concern, researchers at Seattle's Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center spent three years developing a molecular "paint" to coat cancer cells with a mixture of a peptide derived from scorpion venom (chl
 0 Read More »
| What to Expect When You Find a Lump in Your Breast 
About 40% of women will discover a breast lump during their lives. Many of these women will panic, but 80% of these lumps will be benign. It's not uncommon for women to experience breast lumps that come and go with their menstrual cycle, as hormones cause the breast tissue to fill with water.
Still, it's best not to wait and see if a lump will disappear on its own. If you find a lump, have your doctor check it as soon as possible. Your doctor can learn some things about a breast lump just be feeling it. Benign (non-cancerous) lumps often feel solid (like a grape or small water balloon), and can be moved around. A cancerous lump may feel harder and be less movable.
Your doctor will then order follow up imaging test or tests to learn more about the lump. Common tests are:
1) A diagnostic mammography to x-ray the breast to look for abnormal tissue.
2) An ultrasound, which uses sound waves to determine differences in breast tissue. An ultrasound can determine if the lump is fluid or solid, and its size and location.
3) Computerize
0 Read More » | Use of Letrozole for Infertility Controversial  Letrozole is best known as the breast cancer drug Femara. Femara is used as a hormone therapy for breast cancer following surgery, to reduce the odds of a breast cancer recurrence in women with hormone receptor positive cancer (the most common type).
0 Read More » | Hormone Therapy for Breast Cancer  Breasts contain cells which respond to natural hormones, notably estrogens and progesterone. These cells contain hormone receptors to which these hormones can bind. Some breast cancer cells contain similar receptors, which means that they respond to and grow more quickly in the presence of hormones.
There are two main types of breast cancer: estrogen-receptor-positive (the cancer cells contain estrogen), and estrogen-receptor-negative (no estrogen in the cancer cells). About 60% of breast cancers in pre-
0 Read More » |
