What if a simple blood test alerted you years in advance that you had elevated risks of breast cancer? Would you take it? You may have a choice in the near future.

The US Food and Drug Administration has approved a new drug to treat HER2-positive late-stage (metastatic) breast cancer. The drug has been shown to extend remission by about six months.

After the long process of designing, developing and testing new drugs, these meds are usually far more expensive than the older medications on the market. Are they better? Not always.

A class of drugs called CCR5 antagonists has revolutionized the care of HIV patients. These meds slow the disease from progressing to full-blown AIDS. A new preclinical study demonstrates these drugs may also be useful in cancer.

HER2-positive breast cancer is one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. It tends to grow and spread rapidly. An experimental drug may halt this beast and offer a gentler ride for women living with it .

The female hormone estrogen can wreak havoc on a woman's body if it it gets out of hand, promoting the development of breast and endometrial (uterine) cancers.

Nobody walks away from breast cancer scot-free. The best of treatments leave the ladies of breast cancer changed, sometimes for years. Research confirms that fitness levels matter. A lot.

Breast cancers that have high levels of HER2 are particularly aggressive. Not only do they grow rapidly, but they tend to return after treatment. A vaccine currently being investigated appears to be effective in preventing this reappearing act.

Imagine that instead of toxic chemotherapies, natural compounds in foods could be used to fight back against aggressive cancers. Celery and parsley may be vegetable gems of the future.

If you're planning to get pregnant, don't let a prior breast cancer diagnosis stop you. Pregnancy following breast cancer remission appears to be safe.