Archives: Quality of Life
Archived articles below are about screening. Looking for other topics? Select a category or browse to view links to older news and journal articles about breast cancer.
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AI side effects may affect adherence
Aromatase inhibitors' side effects are five times worse than those of women going through "normal" menopause and may result in breast cancer patients not adhering to or discontinuing treatment. Check out the details.
Breast Cancer Wellness website for survivors
A website for survivors is now at this link or you can subscribe to a print version. It features articles by and for survivors, covering topics such as recovery and wellness.
You can download back issues or download a book featuring stories of 44 survivors.
Chemo alters brain tissue
Finally, research is keeping up with what we've all been saying for years. Chemotherapy does affect brain tissue, although depending on age, your brain may snap back after a time. Read all about this research from our friends up north, the IU Simon Cancer Center.
Researchers find source of AI's bone pain side effects
SNP is the new acronym in breast cancer research, and now the single nucleotide polymorphisms are showing researchers how and why aromatase inhibitors cause bone pain and arthritis symptoms in some women. Read all about it.
Brody on cancer survival
New York Times' writer and cancer survivor Jane Brody weighs in on survivorship and disease such as multiple myeloma in this recent column.
Multivitamins for good or evil?
The minute one study points to the benefits of something, a second appears to refute that. You be the judge here:
Bisphosphonates may cause femoral breaks
First, they caused jaw necrosis. Next, they were linked to good outcomes for preventing breast cancer. Now, bisphosphonates are in the news in connection to femoral (thigh bones)breaks.
Read for yourself the various bits of news about this drug commonly used to treat osteoporosis:
- Here's a sample of the initial news report.
- Here's the FDA's response.
- This topic is not new, though the most recent study is. Here's an article from the Mayo Clinic.
- This piece from the American Journal of Nursing talks about the "marketing of osteoporosis."
- Jane Brody of The New York Times weighs in.
- Menopause.org spells out the usefulness and dangers.
- Read a research article about osteoporosis in young survivors.
Remember, breast cancer patients have different needs from other women, so talk to your doctor. The bottom line that I came away with is that these are not drugs that are to be taken indefinitely -- perhaps not by anyone.
KFC's pink bucket campaign incites fury
It seems like any other pink ribbon promotion: Buy a bucket of chicken, support research. Read why KFC's recent campaign has drawn the ire of many, including the activist group, Breast Cancer Action.org.
Got hot flashes? Try acupuncture
Acupuncture may be as effective as Effexor (venlafaxine) at reducing the frequency of hot flashes. Check out the article in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
With cancer, words are inadequate
We've talked in groups and on this Web site about the language of cancer, especially phrases like "fighting the battle," or, worse, "losing the battle." New York Times columnist Dana Jennings, a prostate cancer patient, writes about how words are inadequate in this recent column.
Weightlifting OK?
The latest issue of the New England Journal of Medicine reports that weightlifting is OK -- even beneficial -- for breast cancer patients, including those who have been told to baby their arms after surgery to prevent lymphedema. Read the New York Times report.
The Strength and Courage: Exercises for Breast Cancer Suvivors CD, sold through the Magee-Women's Foundation in Pittsburgh, is $20, $5 of which supports Breast Cancer Research and Education Fund at Magee-Women's Foundation. You can find out more about the CD and the foundation at the Web site.
Survivors not satisfied with after-treatment doctors
Here's a topic that comes up many times at Step Ahead meetings: How can a survivor find a primary care physician who understands breast cancer survivors' different concerns? Many are not satisfied with the care they receive, according to a new study from the University of Pennsylvania's Abramson Cancer Center published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Read more at this link.
What, still having pain after surgery?
Perfectly normal, says a new Danish study. Almost half the patients in the study who had had surgery for breast cancer reported chronic pain two to three years after treatment and more than half reported some kind of discomfort. Read the story here.
Dairy makers promise to remove hormones
Last year, BreastCancer Action.org launched an adocacy campaign urging its readers to sound off about rBGH, a hormone found in dairy products.
While campaigns such as Yoplait's "send in a foil label" claimed to raise money for breast cancer research, the product itself came from dairy cows injected with this chemical linked to breast cancer.
General Mills, maker of Yoplait, said in February that it would take the rBGH dairy out of the yogurt, and competitor Dannon quickly said the same thing.
BCA.org says these two companies represent two-thirds of America's dairy products and their policy change shows a cultural shift.
LBBC looks at menopausal symptoms
Living Beyond Breast Cancer's great teleconferences recently addressed managing menopausal symptoms. No, no real "new" tips for those who have been dealing with this all during hormonal therapy, but you may want to listen to the recording anyway. While on the LBBC site, check out the other offerings of this great resource.
No links to caffeine
Good news for coffee drinkers: A new study finds no connections between breast cancer and caffeine. Read the study.
Antioxidants may offer no edge
Antioxidants such as vitamins E or C offer no improvement over placebo, according to a study looking at their efficacy in lowering risk of cancer. Read about it here.
Diet improves outlook
We've all heard this one before, but each study underscores the importance of eating a healthy diet to stave off recurrence. Read the latest at this link.
Study links bone drugs to esophogeal cancer
More bad news for bisphosphonates: A recent study has tied products such as Fosamax and Actonel to an increase in esophogeal cancer. Read the details here.
Osteoporosis drugs may cause jaw osteonecrosis?
You've probably heard about a rash of lawsuits against companies that make bisphosphonates that treat osteoporosis (brand names such as Actonel, Fosamax, Boniva, Zometa) because some patients have developed jaw osteonecrosis, a disease in which bone in the jaw dies and disintegrates. Numbers of cases are small, and at one point, were thought to be mainly in people getting IV bisphosphonates for bone cancer or breast cancer that has metastasized to the bone. But many are wondering if those taking oral doses for osteoporosis are at risk, too.
Check out these articles to better inform yourself about the issues:
- An article from OncoLink, about cancer and bisphosphonates;
- An article from Living Beyond Breast Cancer;
- An article from Cancer Help in the United Kingdom that explains the cause for worry;
- A scholarly article from ASCO that warns those receiving IV bisphosphonates;
- A statement from the American Dental Association that would be useful to have your dentist put in your file if you are taking these drugs.
- Read a brochure from the National Osteonecrosis Foundation.
Bottom line: talk to your doctor and dentist if you are taking osteoporosis drugs and have concerns.
Reconstruction info on the Web
About 75 percent of women who have mastectomies have surgical reconstruction, and making the decisions about what kind can be tough. Here are some Web sites that may be useful:
- BreastCancer.org includes a discussion of Alloderm, TRAM flap and implants as well as offers photos and personal stories.
- Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered (FORCE) has a detailed section of its Web site dedicated to reconstruction explanations and decision making.
- American Cancer Society goes through the processes as well as the decison-making process on its site.
Implants carry no long-term risk
Results of a study that followed women up to 30 years adds to evidence that silicone breast implants do not boost cancer risk. The study found that these women actually had a lower risk of breast cancer than a group of similar but implant-free women. Also, the implants were not tied to other types of cancer, according to findings published in the International Journal of Cancer. Read more about it.
Study looks at online support groups
Stereotypes about who will use online support groups are wrong, according to research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The researchers found that age, income and education did not predict participation, although minorities were not as active as other users. Read more about it.
Survivorship Task Force to address needs
The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) has formed the Survivorship Task Force to help address the long-term physical, emotional and practical needs of cancer survivors. It will revise the oncology training curriculum to aid medical professionals in working with survivors and will support research on ways to improve long-term care of survivors. Read more about it here.
Non-hormonal hot flash treatment ready for clinical trial
The University of Buffalo researchers will begin testing effectiveness of a non-hormonal treatment for hot flases in a clinical trial. An amino acid, non-hormonal dietary supplement could elmininate hot flashes in post-menopausal women as well as breast cancer patients who generallly cannot take estrogen-based treatments. Read more here.
AIs or tamoxifen as preventatives?
Few women with high risk for breast cancer are willing to take tamoxifen as a preventative, studies say. And at least one clinical trial is looking at one of the aromatase inhibitors, exemestane (Aromasin), as a prevention tool. Read the tamoxifen article here, or the exemestane article here.
Breast cancer risk linked to auto emissions
Exposure to carcinogens in car exhaust at critical points of human development may increase the risk of breast cancer in women who are lifetime nonsmokres, a study shows. Read more here.
NIH picks up Sister Study
The Sister Study began enrolling cancer free sisters of women diagnosed with breast cancer in October. Designed to study the genetic and environmental links to the disease, the study will track enrolless for 10 years. For more information, check out BC.org's link.
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Are you eligible for a settlement?
Over 8,000 Hoosier women may be eligible to be part of a settlement of a lawsuit against Bristol-Myers Squibb, makers of Taxol (paclitaxel and onxol). The company agreed to the settlement without admitting any wrongdoing. The suit claimed that the manufacturer consistently overcharged insurers and individuals who paid for the drugs from Jan. 1999 to Feb. 2003. If you fall into this category, you can check out the consumer Web site or call the Indiana attorney general's Consumer Protection Division at (800)382-5516.
Oncologists admit they know little about lymphedema
How many times has your oncologist pooh-poohed the idea that you'll suffer from lymphedema? The lifetime risk for lymphedema is about 20 percent for patients who receive treatment that interferes with lymph systems (axillary dissection, some mastectomies, radiation). Many oncologists and other physicians, however, know little about the condition or about available treatments, according to the Karmonos Cancer Institute in Detroit. Read more here.
Diagnosis may not affect job
Contrary to some perceptions, women who return to work after a breast cancer diagnosis aren't demoted or discriminated against, a study finds. Read the report here.
Young patients' fertility decisions a factor
Concerns about infertility after treatment influence decision-makign in a third of young patients, according to a study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. The majority of women were concerened about the ability to have a child and the affects pregnancy may have on disease recurrence. Read more here.
Bring on the babies
Women with a history of breast cancer need not worry that becoming pregnant will spark recurrence of the disease, M. D. Anderson researchers say. If anything, pregnancy appears to offer a slight protective effect against new breast cancer development, they believe. Read more here.
Survivorship doesn't mean 'cure'
Though there are more people who have been treated for cancer and living for years, there still is no cure for cancer. Instead, "survivor," "remission," and "no evidence of disease or NED," are the terms patients are likely to hear. Read a story from doctors' perspectives here.
People with metastases living longer, too
Women who experience a recurrence of breast cancer after initial treatment are surviving the disease, according to the results of a recent study conducted by the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. The report shows that since 1974, the survival rate from breast cancer recurrences has increased approximately one percent. Read more here.
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CDC and NCI say numbers of cancer survivors growing
There are 9.8 million cancer survivors in the United States, according to a new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI). A cancer survivor is defined as anyone who has been diagnosed with cancer, from the time of diagnosis through the balance of his or her life. Read more here.
Medical field not prepared to serve survivors?
Although there are nearly 10 million Americans who are cancer survivors, a threefold increase over the number of survivors in 1971, many find few medical professionals prepared to handle their needs, ranging from psychological to medical, says a new report from the President's Cancer Panel. Read more here.
Antidepressants may work against tamoxifen...
Antidepressants may be interfering with tamoxifen's abilities to cut your risk of recurrence. This is bad news for women who recently may have been prescribed the drugs to combat hot flashes caused by chemo-induced menopause. Take a look at the report here.
If this is the case, the problem may lie in a gene mutation that decreases the effectiveness, according to researchers at Indiana University, Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center and the University of Michigan. Read the study here.
Deodorant and breast cancer risk: new research prompts questions
Long a rumor on the Internet (and long denied by various organizations), the possibility that antiperspirants, deodorant and other cosmetics cause breast cancer or increase risk is getting attention again. A researcher in the United Kingdom reported finding one of the ingredients in deodorant present in some of the 20 tumor cells investigated. Read the WebMD article here or check out the BreastCancer.org article here.
