Health News

Sparing the Knives and the Nodes
One of the first places breast cancer spreads is to the lymph nodes closest to the tumor. Learning where the cancer has spread is important for making treatment decisions. A new review looked at the risks and benefits of various surgical means of removing lymph nodes.
Breast Cancer by the Numbers
Every other year, the American Cancer Society publishes statistics and trends about breast cancer. Breast Cancer Facts & Figures 2013-2014 offers some interesting insights into the current state of the disease.
New Option for Advanced HER2 Breast Cancer
HER2 is a protein that can be overexpressed in breast cancer, causing an aggressive disease. While there are treatments that target HER2, this form of cancer is tenacious. Scientists have found a new treatment option for this type of breast cancer.
Cancer Preventive Rx Too Risky for Most
Women who are at high risk of developing breast cancer may be prescribed risk-reducing medications. Because some of these medicines have serious side effects, recommendations regarding who should take them have changed.
The Struggles of Elderly Cancer Patients
It’s not unusual for elderly individuals to have trouble with day-to-day activities. The addition of cancer treatments may make these tasks an even greater struggle, according to new research.
Amount of Radiation Matters for Breast Cancer
Is more radiation therapy better? A group of UK researchers hoped to answer that question with recently published research.
Young Women Can Save a Breast
You may recall that Angelina Jolie recently had a double mastectomy to reduce her risks of developing breast cancer. Researchers have discovered that young women are opting for similar operations to protect themselves.
Good News for Bad Cancer Gene Carriers
Mistakes in the BRCA1 gene can increase a woman’s risk of both breast and ovarian cancer. This reality is well-established. What hasn’t been clear is if BRCA carriers are more likely to die from their cancers than are women without the altered genes. A new study offers good news.
Radiation on Whole or Part of Breast?
After a lumpectomy (removal of breast tumor), breast cancer patients usually have radiation therapy to kill any remaining cancer cells. There are two main types of radiation therapy — one that treats the whole breast and one that treats part of the breast. Which is more effective?
Should Mammography Start Earlier?
While breast cancer survival has increased impressively over the past several decades, nearly 40,000 women — including women younger than age 50 — will lose their lives to the disease this year. Could screening have saved some of these lives?