What's in the News About Breast Cancer

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Mar 24, 2002

The research and news about possible breast cancer links, diagnosis and treatment is updated almost daily. Here are a few (but by no means all) of the latest stories to hit the media:

PET SCAN (Positive emission tomography)is the center of a study recently published in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine. This small study compares the results of 61 women, who had breast cancer. Compared to the standard battery of tests (mammo, MRI, CT, sonograms, bone scans and Xray)PET scans identified 80% of recurrences as compared to 20% for the conventional imaging. It's necessary to remember that this was a small study. The positive aspect is, that, in conjunction with the normal procedures, PET scanning could be a valuable tool. The earlier the detection (whether first breast cancer or recurrence) weighs heavily in the treatment options.

MAGNETIC FIELD study shows no link to breast cancer. A study in the American Journal of Epidemiology finds no association between EMF (electromagnetic field) exposure and breast cancer, but states that two others studies "suggested" a possible link. While many believe EMF and the environment may be linked to breast cancer, the studies revolving around breast cancer and the environment are not as numerous as other studies. More research needs to be done in this area of concern.

SALIVA TEST for HER2/neu is in clinical trials. When HER2 is elevated, there is usually a strong suggestion of breast cancer. This tumor marker, also known as c-erbB-2, is present as a soluble form in saliva. Over 125 patients were evaluated and over 87% of malignancies coincided with elevated HER2 in saliva. Over 1000 patients are enrolled in the study. The commercial version of the test is under development by MedicGroup of Wisconsin.

HEALTH INFO on the NET - There is a study in the British Medical Journal to determine the characteristics of breast cancer websites, the quality, popularity and type and reliability of content. Since I write online, I was particularly interested in this. I find it fascinating that I found abstracts or news articles about this study on at least 5 different websites that report breast cancer news. This is in comparison to only 1 article about the HER2 saliva test. Surely finding links to breast cancer is more important than how we surf. The study goes on to say that most surfers are haphazard at best, but manage to find some info that they are searching for in under 5 minutes generally. Those seeking info look for ease of use, nice design, a "scientific" touch and understandable language. The study reports that most surfers never check the "About Us" section of the webpage nor seek validation of webmaster's credentials, etc.

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