Archives: Research
Archived articles below are about diagnosis. 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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IU researchers study chemobrain
IU Simon Cancer Center researchers are finding that not only does chemotherapy affect cognitive function, but those effects can last awhile. They are using brain imaging to see just what happens to breast cancer patients under the influence of powerful drugs. See the rest of the story or link to the report on the News page.
Research sheds (more) light on chemo brain
Ah, remember the bad old days when your oncology team scoffed at your fears of "chemo brain," the cognitive problems many women experience during treatment? Well, researchers recently tracked down many of the reasons women feel that they aren't as smart as they used to be. Read the latest in Cure magazine.
Circulating tumor cells a warning sign
Tiny tumor cells that circulate in the blood may set up shop in a distant location years after primary treatment. Now, researchers are looking at ways to target and eradicate these cells.
Body fat affects ER negative breast cancer
A study points to the effects body fat has on treating ER negative breast cancer.
The latest on bone drugs:
Several new studies look at bone health and drugs that affect bones. Here's a recap:
- New drug may be better than Zometa for bone mets
- Zometa doesn't have positive affect breast cancer. This disappointing news was presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.
- Breast cancer treatment may lead to hip fracture
- Boning up: Keeping bones healthy after cancer
Herceptin, Tykerb and HER2: Updates
Not all HER2 drugs are equally effective in all situations. Read about Tykerb and Herceptin.
Also, some HER2 drugs may work better when administered before surgery.
Aromatase inhibitors go head-to-head
For those who wonder if they are getting the right aromatase inhibitor, a bit of research news reports that there's not much difference in Aromasin and Arimidex.
But, all AIs have the potential to affect your heart.
Radiation may have long term effects
Radiation for cancer treatment may affect your long-term health years after its administered, according to new research.
New PARP inhibitor in first trials
A new PARP inhibitor, MK-4827, shows anti-tumor activity in its first trial in humans, according to a study presented at a Berlin conference. Read more at Artemis.
SABCS presents research news
The annual San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium generated several news flashes during the week of the conference, Dec. 10-15. Here are a few selections:
- Aromatase inhibitors beat tamoxifen
- Better understanding of metastases
- Implications of micrometastases in early-stage breast cancer
- New data supports Tykerb plus Femara for metastatic
- Estrogen may reduce breast cancer risk
Other topics included triple negative cancer, radiation after mastectomy, taxane therapy and Herceptin. Read more at Cure Today or at American Association of Cancer Research.
Research uncovers how cancer spreads
Grab a cup of tea and a piece of dark chocolate before you dive into this article from the "Scary Research" files about how cancer mutates and spreads.
Tiny tracker can monitor Herceptin
Attaching a radioactive tag to Herceptin can show how, and if, it is working, according to researchers at the American Society for Cancer Research's recent meeting.
New York Times follows breast cancer
The New York Times continues to follow cancer in both a series and in occasional articles. These recent pieces spotlight breast cancer:
- Unclear results for new drug
- 17 year Stage IV survivor is celebrating
- After cancer, removing a healthy breast
- Clues for personalizing treatment
Extract of bitter melon? Maybe
Extract of bitter melon, which is used in folk remedies in Asia and Central America, inhibits the signal transduction pathways associated with breast cancer cell growth and could be used in preventing the disease, according to research published in the March 1 issue of Cancer Research. Read more.
New York Times follows "Forty Years' War"
The New York Times has been running a series of articles this year on the war against cancer, "The Forty Years' War." This excellent reporting has covered everything from slow changes in treatment to genetic discoveries to emotional advertising for cancer drugs.
This is a "don't miss" for anyone touched by cancer in some way. See the list of articles in the series here.
ASCO meeting offers new research
The American Society of Clinical Oncologists' symposium in October is detailed at the ASCO site. Some highlights:
- Younger women with DCIS face higher recurrence
- New tumor analysis may better predict need for chemo
- Mammography lowers risk of dying of breast cancer (this news came just before the Agency for Health Care and Quality's report).
San Antonio symposium reports released
The annual San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium in December didn't present any startling news, but several researchers presented newsworthy info. While you can get most of the news at BreastCancer.org, here's a roundup of highlights:
- Herceptin and chemo concurrently can improve survival
- Chemo does benefit survival
- Bone loss drugs may lower breast cancer risk
Vitamin D: New wonder supplement?
What can't vitamin D do? It's all over the news these days and anyone who has had an appointment with an oncologist or gynecologist may have been advised to up the intake of this necessary compound. For the background, check out this article from Web MD that looks at vitamin D and breast cancer.
Young patients face unique risks
The Dana-Farber Cancer Institute says young breast cancer patients have a higher risk of dying from breast cancer than older women and an increased risk of psychosocial distress at diagnosis and in follow-up. Read the article.
Read about ASCO findings
The 2008 American Society of Clinical Oncology conference in spring answered a few questions as well as publicized ongoing research. To read a recap, check out BreastCancer.org's Q&A with researchers.
Check out the news from San Antonio 2008
The San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium is one of the top-notch conferences held each year to review research and advances in breast cancer detection and treatment.
News from the conference trickles out daily during the five days in December when it is underway, but now you can read roundups of the presentations in several locations:
- Read a day-by-day blog by writers and editors from Cure magazine;
- Read reports on each presentation at Cancer Network.com;
- Read a transcript at Breast Cancer.org of an online conference of experts breaking down the SABCS news for BC.org readers.
Check out News for more links to SABCS news.
Four genes help cancer spread
Four genes "gang up" to help cancer spread throughout the body, and one may be disarmed by drugs COX-2 inhibitors such as aspirin, ibuprofen and Celebrex, according to a new study in the science journal Nature. Read more about it.
Company investigating breast cancer vaccination
From the files of "It can't happen soon enough," here's news about a breast cancer vaccination. BN ImmunoTherapeutics, Inc., a development-stage biotechnology company, announced that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted its Investigational New Drug Application (IND) for the company's investigational breast cancer vaccine, MVA-BN-HER2. Read more about it.
TAILORx will test for chemo efficacy
The National Cancer Institute is launching a breast cancer clinical trial called the Trial Assigning Individualized Options for Treatment (TAILORx) to assess the role of the Oncotype DX™ test in guiding chemotherapy decisions among women with early breast cancer. Read the article here.
Red meat may increase risk
Premenopausal women who eat large amounts of red meat appear to have an increased risk of developing breast cancer with receptors that are positive for estrogen and progesterone, according to a report in the Archives of Internal Medicine.Read more from BreastCancer.org.
Also, read a 2002 study from Ohio State University that specifically connects hormones commonly used in beef with increased activity in breast cancer cells.
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Additional uses for Herceptin
Herceptin used with other chemotherapies treats breast cancer tumors that produce low or undetectable amounts of the HER-2 oncogene but overexpress HRG (heregulin), an activator of HER-2. Read more about it.
Nanoshuttle may attack cells
Scientists have created a way for viruses and tiny bits of gold to assemble within the body to potentially seek out and destroy diseases, such as cancer, a new study reports. The M. D. Anderson study shows that miniscule particles of gold – a metal that is not rejected by the body – can create a microscopic “vehicle” of sorts, called a nanoshuttle, that attaches to viruses that can find and possibly attack diseased cells. Read more about it.
Study highlights minority differences in survival, care
African American women are more likely to die from breast cancer and minorities in general do not receive the best treatment for the disease compared to white women, according to the Journal of Clinical Oncology. The study found that black women, even after adjusting for socioeconomic differences, are nearly 20 percent more likely than white women to die of breast cancer. A second study found that women in minority groups, including Hispanics, are half as likely to get complete follow-up treatment for the disease. Read more about it.
Breast cancer patients risk second cancer
As if you didn't have enough to worry about: If you've had breast cancer, your risk of a second unrelated cancer is higher than the rest of the population. Read the report here.
Some good news: cases leveling off
The number of women diagnosed with breast cancer, which has been rising steadily for 25 years, appears to be leveling off, according the American Cancer Society. Read the report here.
Alcohol risk varies with receptor type
Alcohol has been considered a risk factor for many types of cancer, including breast, and now researchers say the risk varies depending on estrogen receptor status. Read the report.
Freezing who ovaries a possibility
Israeli scientists removed, froze, thawed and transplanted ovaries in sheep, according to the journal, Human Reproduction. No one knows if this will work in humans, but women with breast cancer who hope to preserve their fertility before treatment are interested in finding out. Read the full story here.
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IU Cancer Center researchers at work
Lab studies are an essential part of the work at the Indiana University Cancer Center. Here are some updates, according to a release from Dr. Kathy Miller of the IUCC:
- Dr. Kathy Miller reported on benefits of giving women with recurrent breast cancer a drug that inhibits the development of tumor-sustaining blood vessels. She presented the info at the American Society of Clinical Oncologists meeting in May. She now is lead investigator of a new nationwide study that will test the efficacy of the same drug in treating women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer for the first time.
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Dr. Bryan Schneider directed a blood sample collection drive from 1,000 women, half healthy, half with a history of breast cancer, in the Friends for Life program. By looking at the DNA in the samples, Schneider believes differences in the DNA may explain why some women have a higher likelihood of developing disease.
He also is examining the difference in genes that control the body's metabolism of chemotherapy drugs as a way to predict which women will experience early menopause as a result of the treatment. This may enable young women diagnose with cancer to determine hot treatment will affect fertility. - Dr. Anna Maria Storniolo is leading a study to determine the effects of hew hormonal therapies on a woman's bone and breast density, cholesterol levels and incidence of hot flashes. She is working with Dr. Robert Goulet to assess how lower doses of chemo drugs administered directly into the milk ducts could help women avoid systemic chemotherapy.
- Dr. George Sledge is leading an international study to determine how to best individualize therapies for women with recurrent breast cancer. He's looking at genetic differences which may help doctors determine which drugs will be most helpful.
- Dr. Susan Clare is studying whether substances in a woman's body released during post-surgical healing may trigger the growth of cancer cells unintentionally left behind.
Contact the IUCC at (317) 274-0920.
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Where does the money go? Puzzle Project looks at funding
Ever wonder just where that "research" money goes when you buy a pink-ribboned promotinal product such as make-up, vacuum cleaners or running shoes? BCAction.org's Puzzle Project was launched earlier this year to explore just how much money is being raised, used on research and how the research is coordinated. The results so far are surprising, and BCAction reports that money -- and efforts -- are being wasted. Read the full report at the BCAction.org site.
Researchers solve HER-2's mysteries
Researchers have solved the mystery of why an aggressive form of HER2-positive breast cancer travels readily to lungs, liver and bone, where it then establishes new tumors. The finding may lead to strategies that block the deadly spread, including a new drug. Read about the findings here.
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We are never too young for breast cancer
As many local women know, we are never too young for breast cancer, even though it is a rare disease in women under 40. At least one doctor is advising women of all ages to know their bodies and to force doctors to take their concerns seriously. Read the report here.
Pregnancy okay after breast cancer
M.D. Anderson researchers say that women who have been treated for breast cancer need not worry that pregnancy will spark a recurrence. In fact, pregnancy may help fight new breast cancers. Read more here.
No smoking, no drinking, no weight gain = no cancer?
A controversial study from California researchers reports that even second-hand smoke may increase the risk of breast cancer, particularly in premenopausal women. Read more here.
Alcohol, including wine, increases the risk of several cancers even though studies tout the reduced risk of cardiovascular disease from alcohol intake. The Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis reports that even moderate drinking is associated with increased risk in cancers of the upper digestive tract and larynx, intestines, liver and breast. Read the report.
And, women who are overweight prior to breast cancer diagnosis, or who are lean but gain weight following diagnosis, are more likely to have a recurrence or die of the disease, according to an article in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Link to the study here.
