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• DeGeneres Joins Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign Thursday With Phone Messages

  Posted: September 30th, 2008, 1:00pm EDT

  Comedian and talk show host Ellen DeGeneres on Thursday helped kick off a breast cancer awareness campaign led by vitamin maker One A Day that allows women to request a phone message of DeGeneres sent to someone they know reminding that person to take steps to check for breast cancer, the AP/Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

• Women Born As Big Babies More Susceptible To Breast Cancer

  Posted: September 30th, 2008, 12:00pm EDT

  Women who were born as big babies, particularly if they were longer in length, are more susceptible to breast cancer said UK researchers after re-analysing data from published and unpublished studies. The analysis was the work of researchers at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and is published in PLoS Medicine.

• Join Scrubs & Beyond(R) In Supporting National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

  Posted: September 30th, 2008, 12:00pm EDT

  Scrubs & Beyond is doing more than recognizing National Breast Cancer Awareness Month -- they are supporting it by donating a portion of the proceeds from the sale of specific items to the American Cancer Society. If you need a new set of

• Antisoma Starts Phase II Trial Of AS1402 In Breast Cancer

  Posted: September 30th, 2008, 8:00am EDT

  Cancer drug developer Antisoma plc (LSE: ASM; USOTC: ATSMY) announced that it has started a phase II trial evaluating the addition of AS1402 to the endocrine (hormonal) therapy letrozole in post-menopausal women receiving first-line treatment for advanced breast cancer. Approximately 110 patients will be randomly assigned to receive either letrozole plus AS1402 or standard treatment with letrozole alone.

• Cancer Research UK's New Video Puts A Fun Twist On Being Breast Aware

  Posted: September 30th, 2008, 6:00am EDT

  Cancer Research UK is today releasing a viral video aimed at educating women on how to be breast aware. The comedic video features a woman explaining how best to check breasts, the twist being that her assistant is a beautiful and obliging male model. The video features Tommy, the

• AICR Study: Walnuts Slow Growth Of Breast Cancer Tumors

  Posted: September 30th, 2008, 6:00am EDT

  New research funded by the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) has found evidence that a daily dose of walnuts - equal to two servings a day in humans - reduces the growth of breast cancer tumors in mice. The study is the first to investigate the effect of walnut consumption on cancer. "This is an intriguing finding that needs to be repeated, and ultimately confirmed in humans," said Karen Collins, M.S., R.D., Nutrition Advisor for AICR.

• Cancer Prediction Models More Accurate For White Women Than Asian-American Women, Study Says

  Posted: September 29th, 2008, 11:00am EDT

  Two widely used prediction models for identifying a woman's risk for breast and ovarian cancer might be less reliable for Asian-American women compared with white women, according to a study published in the October issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology,

• Medical Protection Society Advises Doctors How To Avoid Missing The Early Signs Of Breast Cancer

  Posted: September 29th, 2008, 11:00am EDT

  To mark the beginning of Breast Cancer Awareness Month on 1 October, a leading professional indemnity provider is warning doctors that delays in diagnosing the disease are a common contributor to claims against GPs.

• Cases Of Breast Cancer Among Chinese Women Likely To Increase Significantly In Future Years, Study Finds

  Posted: September 29th, 2008, 10:00am EDT

  Cases of breast cancer in Chinese women likely will increase significantly in future years unless they avoid some of the well-established risk factors tied to breast cancer, such as weight gain and limiting alcohol consumption, according to a study published this week in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute,

• House Passes Bills On Breast Cancer, Down Syndrome; Senate Considers Contraceptive Pricing Fix

  Posted: September 29th, 2008, 9:00am EDT

  Democratic leaders in both the House and Senate have prepared economic stimulus packages that they will try to pass this week, CQ Today reports. According to CQ Today, the Senate draft of the proposal circulating on Capitol Hill reportedly includes legislative language supported by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.

• Near Infrared Nanoparticles Shine A Bright Light On Cancer

  Posted: September 29th, 2008, 7:00am EDT

  A new imaging method for breast cancer has been developed by a team of scientists from Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and Penn State College of Medicine and the departments of Materials Science and Engineering and Physics at Penn State.

• Controlling Insulin Is Good For Diabetes - And Breast Cancer?

  Posted: September 29th, 2008, 5:00am EDT

  Doctors have long encouraged patients with diabetes to exercise regularly to help control their insulin levels and to maintain a healthy weight. Now, breast oncologists at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston are studying the relationship between exercise, weight, and insulin levels and the risk of breast cancer recurrence.

• Breast Cancer And Women Under Age 40: A Growing Concern

  Posted: September 29th, 2008, 5:00am EDT

  When anyone thinks of breast cancer, the face of a young woman doesn't immediately come to mind. Yet, of the more than 200,000 women in the United States who will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year, about 11,000 will be under the age of 40.

• Women Take Charge Of Breast Cancer In Different Ways: Sociologist Studies Responder Types And Efficacy

  Posted: September 29th, 2008, 4:00am EDT

  Our culture puts enormous pressure on women to take charge of their breast cancer, but women respond differently, according to coping style. And, finds Temple University sociologist Julia Ericksen, each style is valid and effective in helping one make sense of her illness. Ericksen set out explore how women respond to a diagnosis of breast cancer shortly after receiving her own diagnosis.

• A Dipstick Test For Breast Cancer?

  Posted: September 29th, 2008, 4:00am EDT

  A few drops of urine may reveal whether a woman is at risk for breast cancer, researchers led by Marsha Moses, PhD, of the Vascular Biology Program at Children's Hospital Boston, have found.

• Core Needle Breast Biopsies Safe For Patients Taking Blood Thinners

  Posted: September 29th, 2008, 4:00am EDT

  It is safe to take anticoagulants (blood thinners) before core needle breast biopsies, according to a study performed at the Elizabeth Wende Breast Clinic in Rochester, NY. Core needle biopsies are offered as an alternative to surgical biopsy when a tissue sample of an irregular area in the breast is found by mammogram or sonogram. "They are safer than surgical procedures, require fewer anesthetics, and are accurate," according to Patricia Somerville, MD, lead author of the study.

• Device May Customize Radiation Therapy, Reduce Treatment Time

  Posted: September 29th, 2008, 4:00am EDT

  A study of the first approximately 100 patients who have received partial breast irradiation with a small, whisk-like, expandable device inserted inside the breast has shown that after one year, the device is effective at sparing nearby healthy tissue from the effects of radiation. The device, called SAVI™, is aimed at providing customized radiation therapy while minimizing exposure to healthy tissue around the breast after a woman has received a lumpectomy for early stage cancer.

• Triple Negative Breast Cancer Targeted In Clinical Trial

  Posted: September 29th, 2008, 4:00am EDT

  The American Cancer Society estimates 183,000 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed in the United States this year with more than 40,000 dying from the disease. In New Jersey alone 6,300 new cases are expected with 1,400 deaths. It is those statistics on which researchers at The Cancer Institute of New Jersey (CINJ) hope to have impact with a newly opened clinical trial at the facility. CINJ is a Center of Excellence of UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.

• The Methodist Hospital Is First In Houston To Treat Breast Cancer With The Contura Applicator

  Posted: September 29th, 2008, 4:00am EDT

  A larger population of breast cancer patients now have a more effective treatment option for targeted partial breast radiation therapy that reduces treatment from months to days. The Methodist Hospital is the first in Houston to use the Contura Brachytherapy procedure, which allows more breast cancer patients requiring targeted radiation therapy after a lumpectomy to be treated in five days, rather than six to seven weeks for whole-breast irradiation.

• Partial Breast Radiation Focus Of New Cancer Study

  Posted: September 29th, 2008, 4:00am EDT

  According to the American Cancer Society, 40,000 breast cancer deaths are expected nationwide this year, with 1,400 here in New Jersey. It is those statistics investigators at The Cancer Institute of New Jersey (CINJ) hope to curb with research they're conducting on whether partial breast radiation following a lumpectomy will hold a better benefit than radiation of the whole breast. CINJ is a center of excellence of UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.

• Young Breast Cancer Patients Face Unique Risks And Issues

  Posted: September 29th, 2008, 4:00am EDT

  Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer and second leading cause of cancer-related death in women, in the United States. However, little is known about breast cancer in women in their early 40s and younger. Ann Partridge, MD, MPH, who founded and directs the Program for Young Women with Breast Cancer at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, says that evidence shows that young age is a risk factor for disease recurrence and death.

• Cancer Risk Affected By Social Class

  Posted: September 28th, 2008, 8:00am EDT

  Cervical and lung cancer are more common in poor people while rates of breast cancer and melanoma are higher in the wealthy. A detailed analysis of the incidence of these four different kinds of cancer, carried out on more than 300,000 English cancer patients and published in the open access journal BMC Cancer, describes the effects of socioeconomic group, region and age.

• Breast Cancer Patients Not Offered All Options For Reconstruction, UK

  Posted: September 27th, 2008, 6:00am EDT

  Free DVD for Breast Cancer Patients Revealing Range of Alternatives. An inequality in breast reconstruction options for mastectomy patients has been highlighted by a West Sussex hospital.

• New Computer Based Tools Will Help Make Best Use Of Genetic Breast Cancer Tests

  Posted: September 27th, 2008, 3:00am EDT

  A new federal project, funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, will lead efforts to develop, implement and evaluate four computer-based decision-support tools that will help clinicians and patients better use genetic tests to evaluate and treat breast cancer. The first pair of tools will assess whether a woman with a family history of cancer should be tested for BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations.

• Breast MRI Scan Could Determine Need For Radiation Therapy

  Posted: September 27th, 2008, 3:00am EDT

  For women whose breast cancer has spread to their lymph nodes, a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan could replace exploratory surgery as the method for determining whether those women need radiation therapy to treat their disease, according to a study to be presented during the annual meeting of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO) which opens in Boston.

• Breast, Ovarian Cancer Prediction Models More Accurate For White Women Than Asian-American Women, Study Finds

  Posted: September 26th, 2008, 10:00am EDT

  Two widely used prediction models for identifying a woman's risk for breast and ovarian cancer appear to be less reliable for Asian-American women compared with white women, according to a study in the October issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Reuters Health reports. For the study, lead researcher Allison Kurian of

• Randomized Phase 2 Study Of IMC-A12 For Advanced Breast Cancer Commences Patient Enrollment

  Posted: September 26th, 2008, 9:00am EDT

  ImClone Systems Incorporated (NASDAQ: IMCL), a global leader in the development and commercialization of novel antibodies to treat cancer, today announced that its disease-directed randomized Phase 2 clinical trial of IMC-A12, ImClone's fully human, IgG1 anti-insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-1R) monoclonal antibody, in women with advanced breast cancer has commenced patient enrollment.

• Deactivating A Cancer Growth Promoter

  Posted: September 26th, 2008, 7:00am EDT

  Three enzymes called phosphatases that shut down a molecule called SRC-3 (steroid receptor coactivator 3) could provide a new pathway for fighting cancer, particularly tumors of the breast and prostate, said researchers at Baylor College of Medicine in a report that appears in the current issue of the journal Molecular Cell. "This kind of information provides a target for the production of drugs against cancer," said Dr.

• Concert Pharmaceuticals Presents Preclinical Results Supporting Co-Administration Of CTP-347 And Tamoxifen

  Posted: September 26th, 2008, 5:00am EDT

  Concert Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today the presentation of data from a preclinical study demonstrating the potential of CTP-347, its novel deuterium-containing serotonin modulator, to avoid the risk of adverse drug-drug interactions when co-administered with tamoxifen, a widely-used breast cancer drug. These data were the subject of a poster presentation at the North American Menopause Society's 2008 Annual Meeting.

• Study Finds Shorter Intensive Radiation Therapy Effective In Treating Early-Stage Breast Cancer

  Posted: September 25th, 2008, 11:00am EDT

  Three weeks of intensive radiation therapy is as effective as or more effective than the standard five weeks of therapy in the treatment of early-stage breast cancer, according to a study presented on Monday at a meeting of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology in Boston,

• Cancer Patients Who Receive Neoadjuvant Therapy Followed By Mastectomy May Not Need Radiation

  Posted: September 25th, 2008, 10:00am EDT

  Early-stage breast cancer patients who exhibit limited lymph node involvement may not require post-surgery radiation therapy (RT) when they receive neoadjuvant chemotherapy before a mastectomy, according to researchers from The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. The findings were reported at the 50th Annual meeting of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology.

• House Committee Approves Amended Bill On Research On Environmental Effects Of Breast Cancer

  Posted: September 25th, 2008, 8:00am EDT

  House Committee Approves Amended Bill on Research on Environmental Effects of Breast CancerA bill (HR 1157) that would increase federal funding and research into understanding the environmental causes of breast cancer was amended on Tuesday by the House Energy and Commerce Committee, CQ Today reports.

• Young Women With Early Form Of Breast Cancer No More Likely To Experience Recurrence Than Older Women

  Posted: September 25th, 2008, 7:00am EDT

  Young women with DCIS, a common form of early breast cancer that arises in and is confined to the mammary ducts, are presumed more likely to have recurrences than older women with the same diagnosis. But a new study from Fox Chase Cancer Center rebuffs this conventional thinking.

• Study Shows Radiation Device May Customize Therapy, Enable Some To Avoid More Lengthy Treatment

  Posted: September 25th, 2008, 3:00am EDT

  A study of the first approximately 100 patients who have received partial breast irradiation with a small, whisk-like, expandable device inserted inside the breast has shown that after one year, the device is effective at sparing nearby healthy tissue from the effects of radiation. The device, called SAVI™, is aimed at providing customized radiation therapy while minimizing exposure to healthy tissue around the breast after a woman has received a lumpectomy for early stage cancer.

• Can The Metastatic Lymph Node Ratio Predict Survival Rate In Gastric Cancer Patients?

  Posted: September 24th, 2008, 2:00pm EDT

  Previous studies have proven that the MLR is an excellent predictor for survival outcome in patients with colon cancer, pancreatic cancer, breast cancer and other carcinomas. Some related studies on gastric cancer also found the potential of the MLR on prognostic evaluation. However, there is no consensus on MLR stratification cutoffs for lymph node staging, especially a lack of data for advanced gastric cancer located in the cardia and fundus.

• Breast Cancer Treatment Can Be Undermined By The Dietary Supplement Genistein

  Posted: September 24th, 2008, 11:00am EDT

  Women taking aromatase inhibitors to treat breast cancer or prevent its recurrence should think twice before also taking a soy-based dietary supplement, researchers report. Genistein, a soy isoflavone that mimics the effects of estrogen in the body, can negate the effectiveness of aromatase inhibitors, which are designed to reduce the levels of estrogens that can promote tumor growth in some types of breast cancer.

• Hormone Therapy Safe For Postmenopausal BRCA Mutation Carriers According To Observational Study

  Posted: September 24th, 2008, 9:00am EDT

  The use of hormone therapy was associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women who carry BRCA mutations, according to a case-control study published online September 23 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Women who carry a mutation in the BRCA1 gene may opt to have their ovaries removed to lower their risk of developing breast cancer.

• Relapse In Early Breast Cancer Patients Following Endocrine Therapy, Prediced By New Model

  Posted: September 24th, 2008, 9:00am EDT

  Researchers have developed and validated a model that predicts relapse in women with stage 2 or 3 breast cancer who have been treated with endocrine therapy prior to surgical removal of the tumor, according to a study published online September 23 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. The preoperative endocrine prognostic index (PEPI) may help identify women who can safely avoid chemotherapy and those women at high risk of relapse who should be considered for aggressive therapy.

• Breast Cancer Treatment Resistance Linked To Signaling Pathway

  Posted: September 24th, 2008, 7:00am EDT

  Activation of the Src signaling pathway may cause resistance to standard medical treatment in some patients with breast cancer, and inhibition of this pathway holds the potential to overcome that resistance, according to data presented here at the American Association for Cancer Research Molecular Diagnostics in Cancer Therapeutic Development meeting.

• News From The Journal Of The National Cancer Institute, Sept. 23

  Posted: September 24th, 2008, 6:00am EDT

  Breast Cancer Incidence Rate Predicted to Climb Dramatically in China The breast cancer incidence in China is predicted to climb from the current rate of 10 cases per 100,000 women aged 55+ years to more than 100 cases per 100,000 women in 2021. The current incidence of breast cancer in China is low compared with the rate in Western countries. But as more Chinese women adopt a Western life style, the rate is expected to climb.

• Determining Treatment Of Breast Cancer Patients Using New Predictive Tool

  Posted: September 24th, 2008, 6:00am EDT

  A new predictive measurement, called a PEPI score, could bring good news to many women diagnosed with early stage breast cancer - a low PEPI (preoperative endocrine prognostic index) score could show that they have little risk of relapse and can safely avoid chemotherapy after surgery.

• Monogram And Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Initiate Evaluation Of HERmark(TM) Breast Cancer Assay In Metastatic Breast Cancer

  Posted: September 24th, 2008, 3:00am EDT

  Monogram Biosciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: MGRM) announced that it has initiated a study, in collaboration with the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI), to evaluate Monogram's HERmark(TM) Breast Cancer Assay in metastatic breast cancer.

• Side Effects Of Breast Cancer Treatment Reduced By Acupuncture

  Posted: September 23rd, 2008, 12:00pm EDT

  Acupuncture is as effective and longer-lasting in managing the common debilitating side effects of hot flashes, night sweats, and excessive sweating (vasomotor symptoms) associated with breast cancer treatment and has no treatment side effects compared to conventional drug therapy, according to a first-of-its-kind study presented September 24, 2008, at the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology's 50th Annual Meeting in Boston.

• 1-Week Radiation Effective Breast Cancer Treatment

  Posted: September 23rd, 2008, 12:00pm EDT

  Accelerated partial breast irradiation (APBI) using a type of radiation seed implants called balloon brachytherapy, a newer type of radiation treatment that offers more convenience to early-stage breast cancer patients by shortening radiation therapy from the standard six to seven weeks of treatm

• 3-Week Radiation Therapy As Effective As 5 Weeks For Early-Stage Breast Cancer

  Posted: September 23rd, 2008, 12:00pm EDT

  Early-stage breast cancer patients who receive a more intensive course of radiation to their whole breast over three weeks is as effective as the standard, less intensive five-week whole breast radiation and offers patients more convenience at a lower cost, thereby providing a better quality of life, according to a randomized, long-term study presented September 22, 2008, in the plenary session at the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology's 50th Annual Meeting in Boston.

• SAVI Device For Treatment Of Breast Cancer Shows Excellent Cosmetic Results, Few Side Effects

  Posted: September 23rd, 2008, 11:00am EDT

  A new study of breast cancer radiation treatment performed at 21st Century Oncology has found that the SAVI™ applicator delivered excellent cosmetic results with minimal side effects, for women who had not qualified for breast conservation therapy using a previously available balloon device.

• Nipple Sparing Mastectomy With Reconstruction Surgery For Breast Cancer

  Posted: September 23rd, 2008, 7:00am EDT

  On Tuesday, October 7, watch surgeons from University Hospitals Case Medical Center perform a nipple sparing mastectomy with complete reconstruction. This breast-preserving procedure provides patients undergoing mastectomy with an excellent cosmetic outcome. Julian Kim, MD, FACS, and Hooman Soltanian, MD, will be available during this interactive panel discussion to answer any viewer questions. Dr.

• Breast Cancer Survivors Have High Quality Of Life Up To 15 Years After Lumpectomy/Radiation

  Posted: September 23rd, 2008, 5:00am EDT

  Women with breast cancer who are treated with lumpectomy and radiation report a high level of overall quality of life several years after treatment that is comparable to a general sampling of the adult women U.S. population according to a survey conducted by physicians at Fox Chase Cancer Center. "Treatments for breast cancer may decrease quality of life temporarily, but this is evidence that survivors on average will return to a normal quality of life," said Gary Freedman, M.D.

• Breast MRI Scan Could Determine Need For Radiation Therapy

  Posted: September 23rd, 2008, 4:00am EDT

  For women whose breast cancer has spread to their lymph nodes, a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan could replace exploratory surgery as the method for determining whether those women need radiation therapy to treat their disease, according to a study to be presented during the annual meeting of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO) which opens in Boston.

• New Computer-Based Tools Will Help Make Best Use Of Genetic Breast Cancer Tests

  Posted: September 23rd, 2008, 4:00am EDT

  A new federal project, funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, will lead efforts to develop, implement and evaluate four computer-based decision-support tools that will help clinicians and patients better use genetic tests to evaluate and treat breast cancer. The first pair of tools will assess whether a woman with a family history of cancer should be tested for BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations.

• Some Breast Cancer Patients Facing Radiation After A Mastectomy May Be Over-Treated

  Posted: September 23rd, 2008, 4:00am EDT

  A new study suggests standard radiation therapy for some breast cancer patients may not be medically required and may, therefore, be causing unnecessary serious side effects such as lymphedema and pulmonary problems. The research conducted at Fox Chase Cancer Center involved women who got a mastectomy, but whose lymph nodes were negative.

• Shorter Radiation Therapy Just As Effective For Early Stage Breast Cancer

  Posted: September 23rd, 2008, 3:00am EDT

  A shorter more intensive course of radiation therapy that lasts three weeks as opposed to the standard five appears to be just as effective for treating early stage breast cancer said researchers at a conference in Boston on Monday. The results of a randomized long term study comparing the two therapies were presented by lead author Dr Timothy Whelan who is a radiation oncologist at the Juravinski Cancer Centre at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

• 'Molecular Diagnostics: Leading The World From Philadelphia' Hosted By AACR

  Posted: September 22nd, 2008, 4:00am EDT

  Critical innovations and basic cancer biology knowledge have merged in recent years to make it possible for researchers to target specific molecules involved in critical chemical pathways of cancerous cells. Based in Philadelphia, the American Association for Cancer Research leads the way in this research and Philadelphia-based institutions play a key role.

• Strong Association Found Between Prevalence Of Low White Blood Count And Women Of African Descent

  Posted: September 22nd, 2008, 3:00am EDT

  Researchers from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center at Columbia University Medical Center, have found a strong association between women of African descent from the U.S. and Caribbean, who are otherwise healthy, and the prevalence of neutropenia, or low white blood count.

• New Approach To Detect Rare Genetic Variants Aims To Help Women Evaluate Hormone Replacement Therapy And Breast Cancer Risk

  Posted: September 18th, 2008, 7:00am EDT

  Perlegen, a leader in discovering clinically important genetic variations that affect patients' drug response and predisposition to disease, announced today that it has launched a new, proprietary approach to discovering rare genetic variations.

• Comment From Breakthrough Breast Cancer On Possible New Genetic Testing Technique

  Posted: September 18th, 2008, 7:00am EDT

  Dr Sarah Rawlings, Head of Policy & Involvement at Breakthrough Breast Cancer, says: "Only around 5% of all breast cancer cases are due to inherited faults in known breast cancer genes such as BRCA1 and BRCA2. Genetic testing is currently only offered to women with a strong family history of the disease and is not relevant for the majority of women. "Women tell us that it can be distressing to wait for the results of a genetic test.

• ZenBio, Inc. Awarded Grant To Provide Human Breast Cancer Cell System

  Posted: September 18th, 2008, 6:00am EDT

  ZenBio, Inc., a privately held biotechnology company, announced that it has been awarded a Phase I SBIR grant to provide a unique human primary cell system for breast cancer research. The $200,000 award from the National Institutes of Health will fund the isolation and culturing of primary human basal and luminal mammary ductal cells for the development of a donor-matched cell system.

• New Tool For Early Diagnosis Of Breast Cancer

  Posted: September 18th, 2008, 6:00am EDT

  Scientists from Finland, Germany and the ESRF have developed a new X-ray technique for the early detection of breast cancer. This allows a 3D visualization of the breast with a high spatial resolution and is extremely sensitive to alterations in the tissue, such as those generated by cancer. This technique could be used in the next years in hospitals. It may help doctors to detect tumours with greater precision than is possible using current X-ray mammography.

• Stem Cells May Solve Mystery Of Early Pregnancy Breast Cancer Protection

  Posted: September 18th, 2008, 3:00am EDT

  The answer to why an early pregnancy seems to protect against breast cancer could rest with a decrease in stem cells found after animals have given birth, said researchers at Baylor College of Medicine in a report that appears in the current issue of the journal Stem Cell. Women who have children young, at least before the age of 30, reduce their risk of developing breast cancer, said Dr. Yi Li, a professor in the Lester and Sue Smith Breast Center at BCM.

• Three Trials Support Evidence Of Zometa(R) Anticancer Benefit In Pre- And Post-Menopausal Women With Early-stage Breast Cancer

  Posted: September 17th, 2008, 6:00am EDT

  New data from three clinical trials show Zometa® (zoledronic acid) reduced the risk of local and distant recurrence in pre- and post-menopausal women with early-stage breast cancer. Investigators reported on the studies this week in Stockholm at the 33rd Annual Congress of the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO), the primary European professional organization representing medical oncologists.

• ACOG Announces Partnership With Frosted Pink With A Twist Innovative Program To Educate Women About Gynecologic Cancers

  Posted: September 17th, 2008, 4:00am EDT

  The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) is pleased to announce its partnership with ABC's Frosted Pink with a Twist, a unique television special that will bring together the 2008 US women's Olympic gymnasts with today's top music stars and a host of celebrities to raise awareness of cancers primarily affecting women.

• Breakthrough Breast CancerComment On Possible Vaccine For HER2 Positive Breast Cancer

  Posted: September 17th, 2008, 3:00am EDT

  Dr Sarah Rawlings, Head of Policy & Involvement at Breakthrough Breast Cancer, says: "This is very early research that has only been carried out in mice so we don't actually know if it could be used in women. Much more research is needed to find out if it works, to either treat HER2 positive breast cancer or prevent the disease, and if there are any side effects.

• Zoledronic Acid (ZometaR) On Top Of Endocrine Therapy Boosts Survival In Premenopausal Breast Cancer Patients

  Posted: September 16th, 2008, 9:00am EDT

  The addition of zoledronic acid (ZometaR) to adjuvant endocrine therapy in premenopausal women with early breast cancer significantly reduces the risk of disease-free and recurrence-free survival events by about a third, according to results released at the 33rd Annual Congress of the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO.

• Survival In Early Breast Cancer Improved By Adding Taxotere To Chemotherapy Regimen

  Posted: September 16th, 2008, 5:00am EDT

  For patients with early stage breast cancer that has spread to the lymph nodes, adding four cycles of docetaxel (Taxotere) into a sequential regimen of epirubicin followed by cyclophosphamide, methotrexate and fluorouracil (CMF) reduces the risk of recurrence and death, updated long-term results show.

• Pegylated Liposomal Doxorubicin Beneficial In Metastatic Breast Cancer

  Posted: September 16th, 2008, 4:00am EDT

  For women with metastatic breast cancer, treatment with an encapsulated form of the drug doxorubicin offers a well-tolerated option for maintenance therapy that delays progression and offers benefits in terms of survival, new results show. Spanish researchers led by Dr. Emilio Alba have been studying the effects of pegylated liposomal doxorubicin in a group of 155 women who had already been treated with chemotherapy.

• Avon Cosmetics Recruits New Doctors To Breast Cancer Crusade

  Posted: September 16th, 2008, 3:00am EDT

  Cosmetics giant Avon is sponsoring two doctors to carry out vital breast cancer research at the internationally renowned Breakthrough Breast Cancer Research Centre at The Institute of Cancer Research in London, as part of Avon's ongoing commitment to tackling the disease. Dr Kai-Keen Shiu and Dr Juanita Lopez will be moving from working in hospital wards to scientific laboratories to help bridge the gap between laboratory research and patients in the clinic.

• Vaccine Against HER2-Positive Breast Cancer Offers Complete Protection In Lab

  Posted: September 15th, 2008, 1:00pm EDT

  Researchers at Wayne State University have tested a breast cancer vaccine they say completely eliminated HER2-positive tumors in mice - even cancers resistant to current anti-HER2 therapy - without any toxicity. The study, reported in the September 15 issue of

• Appropriate Lifestyle Choices Can Reduce The Risk Of Breast Cancer - Europa Donna

  Posted: September 15th, 2008, 6:00am EDT

  Breast cancer claims the lives of more European women than any other cancer. Almost 132,000 women died from breast cancer in 2006, and every year 430,000 European women are diagnosed with the disease.1 But studies show that having a healthy lifestyle - avoiding weight gain, eating nutritiously and being physically active - can greatly reduce a woman's risk of developing breast cancer. As much as 25-33% of breast cancer cases are related to being overweight and physically inactive.

• Surveillance Mammography After Treatment For Primary Breast Cancer

  Posted: September 15th, 2008, 6:00am EDT

  The National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment (NIHR HTA) programme has commissioned a new study to identify the most effective and efficient surveillance methods for women who have received treatment for primary breast cancer. There are 45,000 new cases in the UK each year and although the majority of women never experience a recurrence, it does return in approximately 25 per cent of women.

• Breast-Conserving Surgery More Likely At Breast Centers

  Posted: September 15th, 2008, 6:00am EDT

  Breast cancer patients are twice as likely to be offered breast-conserving surgery if treated by surgeons at breast centers than by surgeons in private practice, according to a national survey of breast specialists conducted by the American Society of Breast Disease. The survey presented a case study of a woman from her initial workup following a mammogram through diagnosis to surgical treatment.

• HER2 Breast Cancer Vaccine Shows Promise In Lab

  Posted: September 15th, 2008, 5:00am EDT

  Researchers in the US are hoping that their new breast cancer vaccine will be effective in humans because it safely destroyed HER2-positive tumors, even those resistant to anti-HER2 drugs, when tested on mice. The study was the work of scientists at the School of Medicine and Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, and is published in the September 15 issue of Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

• In Asian Women Risk Of Breast Cancer Mutations Underestimated

  Posted: September 14th, 2008, 3:00pm EDT

  Oncologist Allison Kurian, MD, and her colleagues at the Stanford University School of Medicine were perplexed. Computer models designed to identify women who might have dangerous genetic mutations that increase their risk of breast and ovarian cancer worked well for white women. But they seemed to be less reliable for another ethnic group.

• Study suggests more Asian American women may need to be tested for BRCA mutations

  Posted: September 12th, 2008, 7:00am EDT

  In this New Digest: Summary of a study published online September 8, 2008 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, showing that computer models commonly used to decide who might benefit most from genetic testing under predicted the number of Asian-American women with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations.

• Advalytix Announces Study Of Single Circulating Tumor Cells With The M. D. Anderson Cancer Center

  Posted: September 12th, 2008, 7:00am EDT

  The Advalytix product team of Olympus is initiating a collaborative study with The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center to characterize circulating tumor cells in breast cancer patients. The study combines Advalytix's sensitive AmpliGrid molecular analysis platform, multiplex primer design, and integrated

• India: Breast Cancer Screening May Lower Mortality And Disease Burden

  Posted: September 11th, 2008, 4:00am EDT

  Regular screening of women between the ages of 40 and 59 could substantially reduce breast cancer mortality in India, according to a study in the September 9 online issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Breast cancer screening programs are regularly used in developed countries where the incidence of breast cancer is highest, and an extensive health care system is in place.

• Better Communication And Symptom Assessment Are Key To Promoting Adherence To Long-Term Hormonal Therapy For Invasive Breast Cancer

  Posted: September 10th, 2008, 7:00am EDT

  One in three women taking long-term hormonal (endocrine) therapy for invasive breast cancer stop their treatment before the end of the recommended five-year period, according to a major follow-up study, which reveals that women looked after in specialised oncology units are more likely to continue therapy than those cared for by family doctors.

• Natural Tumor Suppressor Identified By Penn Researchers

  Posted: September 10th, 2008, 7:00am EDT

  Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have identified a key step in the formation - and suppression - of esophageal cancers and perhaps carcinomas of the breast, head, and neck. By studying human tissue samples, they found that Fbx4, a naturally occurring enzyme, plays a key role in stopping production of another protein called Cyclin D1, which is thought to contribute to the early stages of cancer development.

• New Project Captures Underrepresented Voices Of Young Breast Cancer Patients

  Posted: September 10th, 2008, 3:00am EDT

  There are more than 250,000 women under the age of forty that are living with breast cancer and 11,000 will be diagnosed in the next year. Television-star Christina Applegate's tumor was detected through magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which was ordered by her doctor, according to her publicist. That decision proved lifesaving because the cancer was caught early-when it is most likely to be treated and cured.

• Breast Cancer Survival Rates Lower In Community Hospitals Than Teaching Hospitals, Study Finds

  Posted: September 9th, 2008, 12:00pm EDT

  Women with advanced breast cancer have lower long-term survival rates when treated in local community hospitals than at academic medical centers, according to a study published in the Annals of Surgery,

• National Consistency In Gov't Reimbursement For Breast Prostheses, Australia

  Posted: September 9th, 2008, 6:00am EDT

  The Australian Medical Association welcomed the long-awaited Federal Government rollout of a program that will help cancer survivors with the cost of new and replacement breast prostheses. AMA President, Dr Rosanna Capolingua, said the AMA had been concerned for patients and their ability to afford breast prostheses. "Up until now, women with breast cancer in different States of Australia received differing levels of support for breast prostheses.

• FDA Panel Says Pfizer's New Osteoporosis Drug Has Benefits But Use Should Be Restricted

  Posted: September 9th, 2008, 6:00am EDT

  A panel that advises the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on new drug approvals said the benefits of Pfizer's bone drug Fablyn for treating postmenopausal women with osteoporosis outweighed the risks but that use should be restricted to patients at high risk of fracture or who have tried other treatments without success.

• Electronic Brachytherapy A Viable Option For Early Stage Breast Cancer, According To Study Presented At ASCO Breast Cancer Symposium

  Posted: September 9th, 2008, 4:00am EDT

  Early clinical experience with the FDA cleared Axxent(R) Electronic Brachytherapy (eBx) System from Xoft demonstrates that the X-Ray-based, non-isotopic treatment is a viable option for adjuvant therapy for early-stage breast cancer. Initial data from this multi-center study was presented at the 2008 Breast Cancer Symposium here in Washington, DC.

• New Data On Breast Imaging Using Cardiolite(R) To Be Presented At ASCO Breast Cancer Symposium

  Posted: September 8th, 2008, 6:00am EDT

  Lantheus Medical Imaging, a worldwide leader in diagnostic imaging, announced that the company's leading imaging agent, Cardiolite® (Kit for the Preparation of Technetium Tc99m Sestamibi for Injection) will be featured in a new study on molecular breast imaging being presented on Sunday, September 7, 2008, at 7:00am -12:00pm (EDT) as part of the poster sessions (abstract #68) at the American Society of Clinical Oncology's 2008 Breast Cancer Symposium in Washington, DC.

• Calculating How Breast Cancers Will Respond To Tamoxifen

  Posted: September 8th, 2008, 5:00am EDT

  A discovery by Australian scientists could help clinicians decide which women with breast cancer will make good candidates for anti-oestrogen therapies, such as tamoxifen, and which will not. Over 12,000 Australian women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year, roughly 70% of which will have cancers treatable with tamoxifen. Unfortunately, 30% or more of these women may not respond well to such anti-hormone therapy long-term.

• 31st Annual San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium

  Posted: September 8th, 2008, 4:00am EDT

  What: The CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium features the latest cutting-edge findings in laboratory, translational and clinical breast cancer research. This year's meeting focuses on new and promising therapeutic approaches, as well as strides being made in diagnosing and preventing breast cancer. To help you take the best advantage of the symposium's scientific abstracts and related activities, we encourage you to visit

• Early Phase Breast Cancer Study At GUMC Suggests New Approach Can Re-sensitize Tumors

  Posted: September 8th, 2008, 4:00am EDT

  Women with hormone-receptor positive, metastatic breast cancer may take medications for years to help keep their cancer at bay, but when the tumor becomes resistant to anti-hormonal drugs, treatment with chemotherapy becomes the only option. But a study presented today at the 2008 ASCO Breast Cancer Symposiummay change this approach. Early data suggests a new treatment approach can "re-sensitize" the tumor, allowing anti-hormonal drugs to do their job once again.

• Routine Use Of MRI Scans To Evaluate Breast Cancer Challenged By Study

  Posted: September 8th, 2008, 4:00am EDT

  A new study suggests women with newly-diagnosed breast cancer who receive an MRI after their diagnosis face delays in starting treatment and are more likely to receive a mastectomy. The study, presented at the 2008 ASCO Breast Cancer Symposium, also shows that despite lack of evidence of their benefit, the routine use of MRI scans in women newly diagnosed increased significantly between 2004 and 2005, and again in 2006.

• Study Suggests A Possible Way To Offset Chemobrain Memory Loss

  Posted: September 7th, 2008, 3:00am EDT

  Cancer patients have complained for years about the mental fog known as chemobrain. Now in animal studies at West Virginia University (WVU), researchers have discovered that injections of N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), an antioxidant, can prevent the memory loss that breast cancer chemotherapy drugs sometimes induce. The WVU researchers' study has just been published in the September issue of the Springer journal Metabolic Brain Disease.

• OncoMune Publishes Positive Results Of OCM-8054 - Breast Cancer Dependency On BORIS Unequivocally Demonstrated By RNA Interference

  Posted: September 5th, 2008, 12:00pm EDT

  OncoMune LLC, a biotechnology company focused on developing targeted cancer therapeutics, announced the publication of its preclinical OCM-8054 data. The publication entitled, "Selective apoptosis of breast cancer cells by siRNA targeting of BORIS," appeared in the May 23rd 2008 issue of the scientific journal, Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, Volume 370, Issue 1, Pages 109-112.

• Black Women Less Likely Than White Women To Receive Follow-Up Treatments After Breast Cancer Surgery, Study Finds

  Posted: September 5th, 2008, 11:00am EDT

  Black women who undergo a lumpectomy surgery to treat early-stage breast cancer are less likely than their white counterparts to receive the recommended follow-up radiation therapy treatments, according to study released on Wednesday, Reuters/Boston Globe reports.

• Agendia Launches TargetPrint(R) For Breast Cancer Patients

  Posted: September 5th, 2008, 7:00am EDT

  Agendia, a world leader in molecular cancer diagnostics, announced the launch of TargetPrint(R), a new diagnostic test that allows physicians to quantitatively determine the gene expression levels of the estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and Human Epidermal growth factor Receptor 2 (HER2) in breast cancer tumor biopsies.

• Blacks Less Likely Than Whites To Receive Standard Of Care In Radiation Therapy For Breast Cancer

  Posted: September 5th, 2008, 7:00am EDT

  Black women are less likely than white women to receive radiation therapy after a lumpectomy, the standard of care for early stage breast cancer, according to a new study by researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. The study, the largest of its kind, was presented in advance of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Breast Cancer Symposium, and is the first national study to examine such racial disparities in radiation therapy.

• Change In HER2 Status After Treatment With Herceptin Discovered By M. D. Anderson Study

  Posted: September 5th, 2008, 7:00am EDT

  Researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center have discovered that when treated with Herceptin prior to surgery, 50 percent of HER2 positive, breast cancer patients showed no signs of disease at the time of surgery. However, of those women who had residual disease, about one-third had tumors that converted from HER2 positive to HER 2 negative status -possibly indicating a resistance to the targeted therapy.

• Wall Street Journal Examines Growing Fear Of Breast Cancer Among Some Young Girls

  Posted: September 4th, 2008, 11:00am EDT

  The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday examined the growing fear of breast cancer among some young girls that in part is because of information about the disease from the media. Marisa Weiss -- director of breast radiation oncology at Lankenau Hospital in Pennsylvania, founder of Breastcancer.

• Olivia Newton-John Partners With Curves To Distribute The Liv(R) Breast Self-Exam Aid To 1 Million Women

  Posted: September 4th, 2008, 6:00am EDT

  Four-time Grammy winner Olivia Newton-John announces a partnership with Curves, the world's largest fitness franchise for women to launch an international campaign to distribute 1 million units of the Liv® Aid, a breast self-exam aid that assists women to exercise breast self-exams correctly.

• IU Simon Cancer Center's Tissue Bank Collecting Samples Sept. 20 At Clarian North

  Posted: September 3rd, 2008, 6:00am EDT

  Would you like to contribute to breast cancer research? You can help by donating a tissue sample to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Tissue Bank at the IU Simon Cancer Center from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 20, at Ology Spa at the Clarian North Medical Center, 11700 North Meridian St., Carmel. A tissue sample will be taken from one breast with a needle and local anesthesia. The amount of tissue taken is about one gram (or the size of two peas).

• Cytokinetics Announces Clinical Trials Data Relating To Ispinesib To Be Presented At The 2008 ASCO Breast Cancer Symposium

  Posted: September 1st, 2008, 4:00am EDT

  Cytokinetics, Incorporated (NASDAQ: CYTK) announced that data from an ongoing Phase I/II clinical trial of ispinesib are scheduled to be presented as a poster presentation at the 2008 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Breast Cancer Symposium, to be held September 5-7, 2008 at the Hilton Washington in Washington, DC.

• Growth Factor Predicts Poor Outcome In Breast Cancer

  Posted: September 1st, 2008, 4:00am EDT

  The response to insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-I) in breast cancer cells predicts an aggressive tumor that is less likely to respond to treatment, said researchers at Baylor College of Medicine in a report that appears in the current issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology. The finding gives impetus to the movement to tailor cancer treatments to attributes of the various tumors. "These findings come at a critical time," said Dr.