Are Oral Contraceptives Safe for Women with Family Histories of Breast Cancer?
Women's Health Summary and Comment
Systematic review suggests OC use is not associated with additional risk for breast cancer in women with family histories of the disease.
Screening for Prostate and Breast Cancers
Have the benefits been overstated?
Screening for Breast and Prostate Cancers — Not Living Up to Its Reputation?
Women's Health News in Context
Free
Diagnosis of early breast and prostate cancer has risen with screening, but the number of advanced cancers has not fallen.
By Wendy S. Biggs, MD
October 29, 2009
Covering:
Esserman L et al., JAMA 2009 Oct 21; 302:1685
Mastectomy Instead of BCS: What Is the Role of the Surgeon's Recommendation?
Women's Health Summary and Comment
Free
Reasons for mastectomy are related to surgeon's recommendation, patient's preference, and contraindications to breast-conserving surgery.
SERMs for Breast Cancer Chemoprophylaxis
Women's Health Summary and Comment
Free
Risks associated with tamoxifen and raloxifene limit the appeal of these agents for prevention of primary breast cancer.
Can Anthracycline Response Be Predicted from HER2 and TOP2A Status of Breast Tumors?
The predictive value of these genetic markers remains unclear.
By William J. Gradishar, MD
October 6, 2009
Covering:
Tubbs R et al., J Clin Oncol 2009 Aug 20; 27:3881
Pritchard KI., J Clin Oncol 2009 Aug 20; 27:3875
Mastectomy Rates Are Rising
General Medicine Summary and Comment
Free
And breast-conserving surgery rates are falling — Can preoperative MRI be responsible?
By Allan S. Brett, MD
October 1, 2009
Covering:
Katipamula R et al., J Clin Oncol 2009 Sep 1; 27:4082
Morrow M and Harris JR., J Clin Oncol 2009 Sep 1; 27:4038
Is Clinical Breast Examination, Added to Mammography, Worthwhile?
General Medicine Summary and Comment
CBE was associated with 55 additional false-positives for each additional breast cancer detected.
By Allan S. Brett, MD
October 1, 2009
Covering:
Chiarelli AM et al., J Natl Cancer Inst 2009 Sep 16; 101:1236
Isolated Tumor Cells and Micrometastases in Breast Cancer
Disease-free survival was diminished in patients with ITCs or micrometastases who did not receive systemic adjuvant therapy.
Breast Cancer in Childhood Cancer Survivors
Patients who received chest irradiation during treatment for childhood cancers had excess risk for breast cancer.
Compound Identified That Inhibits Breast Cancer Stem Cells
General Medicine Summary and Comment
Salinomycin was 400 times more effective than paclitaxel in eradicating breast CSCs.
Girlhood Cancer Treatment and Subsequent Breast Cancer Risk
Women's Health Summary and Comment
Radiation dose-response curves were linear; this relation was attenuated in women who received pelvic radiation sufficient to abolish ovarian function.
Strength Training: Safe in Breast Cancer Survivors with Lymphedema
Women's Health Summary and Comment
Weight lifting did not exacerbate breast-cancer–related lymphedema.
Oral Hypoglycemics for Breast Cancer?
Diabetic patients who received metformin plus neoadjuvant chemotherapy achieved higher pathologic complete response rates than those who received chemotherapy alone.
By William J. Gradishar, MD
August 11, 2009
Covering:
Jiralerspong S et al., J Clin Oncol 2009 Jul 10; 27:3297
Goodwin PJ et al., J Clin Oncol 2009 Jul 10; 27:3271
Screening Detects Many Breast Cancers, but How Many Are Overdiagnosed?
Women's Health Summary and Comment
Population-wide mammography screening is associated with higher incidence of breast cancer, but the estimated overdiagnosis rate is more than 50%.
By Wendy S. Biggs, MD
August 6, 2009
Covering:
Jørgensen KJ and Gøtzsche PC., BMJ 2009 Jul 9; 339:b2587
Welch HG., BMJ 2009 Jul 9; 339:b1425
Just in Time for Summer: Grilled Meats Don't Cause Breast Cancer
Women's Health Summary and Comment
Consumption of meat cooked at high temperatures was not associated with breast cancer in a large prospective cohort of postmenopausal women.
Nab -Paclitaxel for Metastatic Breast Cancer
Patients who received <$EMPH_O>nab<$EMPH_C>-paclitaxel achieved longer progression-free survival than did those who received docetaxel.
By Virginia Kaklamani, MD
July 7, 2009
Covering:
Gradishar WJ et al., J Clin Oncol 2009 May 26
Should Women Stop HT Temporarily Before Undergoing Screening Mammography?
Women's Health Summary and Comment
Free
Suspending HT for 1 or 2 months did not lower mammography recall rates, but did increase likelihood of experiencing vasomotor symptoms.
Still Looking for Effective Nonhormonal Hot Flash Therapies
Women's Health Summary and Comment
Acupuncture, Chinese herbs, and other nonestrogenic therapies resulted in modest improvements in hot flash frequency; head-to-head comparisons with estrogen are lacking.
By Robert W. Rebar, MD
June 25, 2009
Covering:
Borud EK et al., Menopause 2009 May/Jun; 16:484
Soares CN., Menopause 2009 May/Jun; 16:434
Grady D et al., Menopause 2009 May/Jun; 16:458
Kaunitz AM., Menopause 2009 May/Jun; 16:428
Bardia A et al., Menopause 2009 May/Jun; 16:477
Santoro NF and Dicken CL., Menopause 2009 May/Jun; 16:432
ASCO 2009 Report: Breast Cancer
New trials in triple-negative and HER2-negative disease
Are Anthracyclines Justified for Breast Cancer?
Most patients are not likely to benefit from anthracycline-based adjuvant chemotherapy.
By William J. Gradishar, MD
June 2, 2009
Covering:
O’Malley FP et al., J Natl Cancer Inst 2009 May 6; 101:644
Slamon DJ and Press MF., J Natl Cancer Inst 2009 May 6; 101:615
Stiff-Person Syndrome with Anti-Amphiphysin Antibodies
Neurology Summary and Comment
A large study of patients with stiff-person syndrome refines the clinical features of patients with anti-amphiphysin antibodies, highlighting the very high frequency of breast cancer.
By Steven A. Greenberg, MD
June 2, 2009
Covering:
Murinson BB and Guarnaccia JB., Neurology 2008 Dec 9; 71:1955
Biopsies of New Metastatic Lesions in Breast Cancer
Knowledge of discordance in molecular markers between primary tumors and metastatic lesions altered disease management in 20% of patients.
Brain Metastases in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
Cumulative incidence at 5 years was nearly 10%.
Vitamin D and Health
Do we have enough? How do we get more? What systems are affected?
