Questions Remain About Hormone Therapy and Risk for Breast Cancer Recurrence
Women's Health Summary and Comment
Conflicting findings from two European randomized clinical trials
Megestrol for Hot Flashes in Breast Cancer Survivors
Women's Health Summary and Comment
Results of a 6-month trial confirmed efficacy, but safety questions remain.
Stopping Trials Early for Benefit — Too Good to Be True?
General Medicine Summary and Comment
Be skeptical of results from trials stopped early for benefit.
Aromatase Inhibitors in Preventing Breast Cancer Recurrence After 5 Years of Tamoxifen
Women's Health Summary and Comment
In women with hormone receptor–positive breast cancer who have completed therapy with tamoxifen, adjuvant therapy with an aromatase inhibitor improved disease-free survival.
By Andrew M. Kaunitz, MD
May 1, 2008
Covering:
Muss HB et al., J Clin Oncol 2008 Apr 20; 26:1956
Goss PE et al., J Clin Oncol 2008 Apr 20; 26:1948
Mamounas EP et al., J Clin Oncol 2008 Apr 20; 26:1965
Lin NU and Winer EP., J Clin Oncol 2008 Apr 20; 26:1919
Radiation Therapy for Breast Cancer: Are Fewer Fractions Better?
Women's Health Summary and Comment
British trial results favored fewer fractions, higher doses per fraction, and fewer weeks of radiation therapy for early breast cancer; longer follow-up is needed.
By Andrew M. Kaunitz, MD
May 1, 2008
Covering:
The START Trialists’ Group., Lancet Oncol 2008 Apr; 9:331
The START Trialists’ Group., Lancet 2008 Mar 29; 371:1098
Bartelink H and Arriagada R., Lancet 2008 Mar 29; 371:1050
Hormone Therapy in Breast Cancer Survivors
General Medicine Summary and Comment
Hormone therapy in this population raises risk for recurrence.
By Allan S. Brett, MD
April 24, 2008
Covering:
Holmberg L et al., J Natl Cancer Inst 2008 Apr 2; 100:475
Pritchard KI., J Natl Cancer Inst 2008 Apr 2; 100:451
Postmenopausal Estrogen and Benign Proliferative Breast Disease
General Medicine Summary and Comment
During 7 years of follow-up, the estrogen group had a significant twofold higher risk for benign proliferative breast disease compared with the placebo group.
By Allan S. Brett, MD
April 24, 2008
Covering:
Rohan TE et al., J Natl Cancer Inst 2008 Apr 16; 100:563
Money Talks: Economic Disparity in Screening Mammograms
Women's Health Summary and Comment
Women with greater wealth received more screening mammograms than poorer women, regardless of prognosis.
By Wendy S. Biggs, MD
April 24, 2008
Covering:
Williams BA et al., Arch Intern Med 2008 Mar 10; 168:514
Bone Safety in Women Taking Aromatase Inhibitors
Women's Health Summary and Comment
Check BMD at baseline, and consider concomitant bisphosphonate treatment for women with osteopenia.
Disparity of Surgical Care in Patients with Early-Stage Breast Cancer
Oncology and Hematology Summary and Comment
Free
Awareness is the first step toward eliminating racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic factors in surgical treatment.
Gene Expression and Clinicopathologic Features in Breast Cancer
Beyond established clinicopathologic risk measures, genetic analysis of tumors could point the way to using individualized therapies to target specific biochemical pathways.
By Virginia Kaklamani, MD, DSc
April 15, 2008
Covering:
Acharya CR et al., JAMA 2008 Apr 2; 299:1574
Huang C-C and Bredel M., JAMA 2008 Apr 2; 299:1605
Estrogen plus Progestin: Diagnostic Mammograms and Biopsies
Women's Health Summary and Comment
Use of E+P increased women’s likelihood of needing diagnostic breast imaging and breast biopsies.
By Andrew M. Kaunitz, MD
April 10, 2008
Covering:
Chlebowski RT et al., Arch Intern Med 2008 Feb 25; 168:370
Is Shorter Better? Hypofractionation Radiation Schemes in Breast Cancer
At 5 years, shorter, higher-dose schedules yielded good outcomes, but we still need to determine long-term effects.
By William J. Gradishar, MD
April 8, 2008
Covering:
The START Trialists’ Group., Lancet Oncol 2008 Apr; 9:331
The START Trialists’ Group., Lancet 2008 Mar 29; 371:1098
Bartelink H and Arriagada R., Lancet 2008 Mar 29; 371:1050
How Safe Are OCs and Menopausal Hormone Therapy After Breast Cancer?
Women's Health Summary and Comment
Use of the pill or hormone therapy does not seem to increase risk for a second primary breast cancer.
Effect of Anastrozole on Bone-Mineral Density
Five years of anastrozole therapy did not lead to osteoporosis for any woman with normal BMD at baseline.
Association of Exercise, Insulin, and Breast Cancer Recurrence
Lifestyle interventions can lead to better prognoses for breast cancer survivors.
Vaccine Combats Some Breast Cancers
In a small study, vaccination with an immunogenic HER/neu peptide led to lower breast cancer recurrence rates in a subset of woman at high risk.
What Happened to WHI Patients Who Stopped Taking Estrogen and Progestin?
General Medicine Summary and Comment
Most risks reverted to prestudy levels, but some persisted.
FDA Approves Avastin for Breast Cancer, Despite Advisory Panel’s Recommendation
Bevacizumab (Avastin) has been approved for use in metastatic breast cancer.
Address Reconstruction in Discussions About Breast Cancer Surgery
Women's Health Summary and Comment
Free
Women who discussed reconstruction with their surgeons were significantly more likely to undergo mastectomy than women who did not have such counsel.
BRCA1 Mutations: Not Just for Ashkenazi Jews
Women's Health Summary and Comment
The prevalence of deleterious <$EMPH_O>BRCA1<$EMPH_C> mutations varied with racial and ethnic group.
By Wendy S. Biggs, MD
February 21, 2008
Covering:
John EM et al., JAMA 2007 Dec 26; 298:2869
BRCA1 and BRCA2 : The More We Know About Risk, the Less We Know
Women's Health Summary and Comment
Breast cancer risk varies among <$EMPH_O>BRCA1<$EMPH_C> and <$EMPH_O>BRCA2<$EMPH_C> mutation carriers.
By Wendy S. Biggs, MD
February 21, 2008
Covering:
Begg CB et al., JAMA 2008 Jan 9; 299:194
Cancer Risk and Schizophrenia
Psychiatry Summary and Comment
Schizophrenia may be associated with increased risk for colon and breast cancers — but not respiratory cancers.
By Steven Dubovsky, MD
February 11, 2008
Covering:
Hippisley-Cox J et al., Arch Gen Psychiatry 2007 Dec; 64:1368
Conservative Treatment for Older Women with Early Breast Cancer
General Medicine Summary and Comment
Among 354 older women who were treated conservatively, 13% died of breast cancer during 15 years of follow-up.
By Allan S. Brett, MD
February 7, 2008
Covering:
Martelli G et al., Cancer 2008 Feb 1; 112:481
Adjuvant Aromatase Inhibitor Treatment for Breast Cancer: Is the Advantage Durable?
Women's Health Summary and Comment
At 100 months of follow-up, trial results continued to favor initial treatment with the aromatase inhibitor anastrozole over tamoxifen.
By Andrew M. Kaunitz, MD
February 7, 2008
Covering:
Arimidex T, Alone or in Combination (ATAC) Trialists’ Group., Lancet Oncol 2008 Jan; 9:45
