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News Flashes in Breast Cancer

© Linda Bily

Cancer Complacency An Australian research clinic warns that cancer specialists have become complacent in their treatment strategies and need to keep searching new avenues for potential therapies. That's good advice for all of us as patients and advocates, also. Never accept the status quo. Do your own research and raise the bar. It's your treatment, your life - be informed!

New Drug Reviews The FDA has revamped its review of drugs. A new Office of Oncology Drug Products will oversee chemotherapy, biologically based treatments, imaging agents and new cancer prevention drugs. The hope is that housing all these services together may speed evaluation, but will also make sure that they maintain the scientific standards necessary for proper evaluation.

Be Careful What You Expect... Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the ACS has published a study that shows that the more side effects you expect, the more you may demonstrate. The mind is a powerful tool and can help you overcome side effects. In this study, your expectations may lead you to have more side effects than should be expected. This study clarifies the effect of mind-over-matter, based on age, gender, educational background and type of cancer.

Is Commercially Available CAD Sensitive Enough? A study published in the American Journal of Roentgenology shows that 2 commercial systems do not measure up to the skill of expert breast imagers. Architectural distortion (the third most common appearance of breast cancer) was detected by the experts in 45 cases. One system detected distorrion in 22 of the cases, or 49% sensitivity. The other system detected 15 of the 45 cases, or 33% sensitivity. CAD will become a viable tool, but still needs some fine tuning.

MRI Biopsy A small study indicates that vacuum-assisted biopsy was performed on 19/20 women in the initial study. This new type of biopsy may prove to be a fast, safe alternative to surgical biopsy in the future. One complication was noted: a hematoma, resolved with compression. American Journal of Roentgenology.

NJ Steps Up To The Plate New Jersey announced a new law which will require insurance companies to pay for mammograms for women under age 40 who have a family history of disease. If your state does not have this type of law on the books, it is type to write to your lawmakers. Get involved; help change policy; help save a life!

Live Healthy and Reduce Your Risk American Association for Cancer Research published a study showing that women follow recommended dietary and lifestyle guidelines may reduce their risk of developing and dying from cancer. Recommendations include diet, exercise, body mass index, limited alcohol consumption, notsmoking and other healthy lifestyle choices.

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