Summer of Hope


I am heartened by the number of articles recently published about breast cancer. Don't get me wrong - no, they haven't found the cause or the cure, but yes, they are looking into every possible nuance of this disease and also not neglecting the psyco-social aspects of breast cancer.

Here's a brief snipet of the latest info - you can alway follow the links and delve deeper into the subject:

Breast Cancer Support -

Emotional support is important; this study finds that unwanted support or misaligned support did more harm than good. Make sure that people are not forcing their visions of support on you, and conversely, that you are not over-supporting a cancer buddy based on your own preferences and needs.

Check out Health Psychology Today 7/26

Supplemental Imaging - Could This Help Save Lives?

Dr. Pisano, chief of breast imaging at UNC, Chapel Hill, addressed the Radiological Society of North America's media briefing on breast health.

There are currently 4 clinical trials involving digital mammography, ultrasound and MRI.

DMIST: Digital Mammographic Imaging Screening Trial:

compares digital and film mammography for approximately 50,000 across the United States and Canada. Results expected in 2005.

Contralateral Breast Screeing with MRI:

Patients with cancer in one breast, and at high risk, receive an MRI of the opposite breast. Results expected late in 2005.

Screening Breast Ultrasound for High-Risk Women:

High-risk women will undergo annual ultrasound and mammogram for 3 years, to determine if ultraouns has any role in detecting breast cancer.

Treatment Monitoring with Dynamic MRI:

Under enrollment, this study will see what, if any, characteristics of breast cancer are altered by, or during treatment. Researchers will measure pre-surgical tumor response to chemotherapy. Tumor samples will be analyzed for biological markers.

More info on all the trials, and the participating/enrollment sites, can be found at: http://www.acrin.org

How BMI (Body Mass Index) Influences Breast Cancer Prognosis

Over 2000 who had breast cancer surgery were included in this study. Patients wih higher BMI had more clinically advanced cancer. Also, the higher the BMI, the greater the risk of recurrence.

I am unsure of all the details of this trial, but in any case, this is another good reason for all of us to try to eat healthy, exercise moderately and maintain our optimum weight.

Contemporary Oncology 7/23

Are Patients Happy with Genetic Counseling?

This area of patient satisfaction has not been studied extensively. The study presented only sampled 61 women, who presented as highly satistified on the GCSS (Genetic Counseling Satisfaction Scale). This satisfaction level is similar to the ratings of prenatal counseling participants. Clearly, further follow-up is needed.

The copyright of the article Summer of Hope in Breast Cancer Research is owned by Linda Bily. Permission to republish Summer of Hope in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Go To Page: 1 2

Articles in this Topic    Discussions in this Topic