Although many risk factors increase a woman’s chance of developing breast cancer—including genetic and hormonal causes—there is increasing evidence suggesting an environmental link. A study investigating the effects of the cumulative environmental quality on aggressive breast...
Excluding skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in women in the United States. In 2019, the American Cancer Society estimates that about 268,600 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed in women, and about 41,760 women will die from their disease. ...
Results from a new study are providing information to potentially improve the clinical management of women diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). A systematic review with meta-analyses to summarize current knowledge on prognostic factors for invasive disease after a diagnosis of DCIS has...
Although parity—time since most recent birth— is recognized as a protective factor against breast cancer, an analysis of data from 15 prospective cohort studies to assess breast cancer risk in relation to recent childbirth has found that compared to women of the same age who had never...
An analysis of the association between clinical outcomes and race in participants enrolled in the TAILORx trial found that even with equivalent treatments among women with hormone receptor–positive, HER2-negative breast cancer, black women had worse clinical outcomes than white women, despite ...
A study by Dominici et al investigated the long-term quality of life outcomes in young breast cancer survivors across three surgical strategies: breast-conserving surgery, unilateral mastectomy, and bilateral mastectomy. The researchers found that patients who underwent mastectomy had lower breast...
A phase III study by Bidard et al investigated whether circulating tumor cells could help physicians choose between hormone therapy or chemotherapy as front-line therapy for patients with estrogen receptor (ER)-positive, HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer. The researchers concluded that the...
A retrospective study evaluating the influence of time to chemotherapy on patients with triple-negative disease and its impact on survival outcome has found that patients who delayed adjuvant chemotherapy more than 30 days after surgery had a significantly higher risk for disease recurrence and...
The phase III KATHERINE clinical trial compared the use of ado-trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1; Kadcyla) vs trastuzumab (Herceptin) as adjuvant therapy in patients with HER2-positive early-stage breast cancer with residual invasive disease after receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy and...
Female survivors of childhood cancer, especially those treated with chest irradiation, have a substantially higher risk of developing breast cancer later in life. As a result, current clinical screening of this high-risk population relies primarily on the radiation dose and volume to the...
Although population-based cancer registries data are useful in tracking and reporting the evolving burden of cancer in the population, the information they capture reflects the outcomes of diagnosis and death, regardless of whether the death is due to the disease or to other causes, and not data on ...
Although digital mammography is effective in detecting early-stage breast cancer and in reducing mortality, high recall rates after a screening mammogram often result in unnecessary medical procedures, including breast biopsies, medical costs, and psychological stress for patients. A...
Studies show that triple-negative breast cancer is associated with advanced-stage disease and higher-grade tumors at the time of diagnosis, and carries an increased risk of recurrence and poorer 5-year survival rates relative to other breast cancers. This type of breast cancer accounts for...
The World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research (WCRF/AICR) has estimated that in developed countries, about 35% of breast cancers and 45% of colorectal cancers could be prevented with a better adherence to nutritional recommendations. A large prospective study evaluating...
Persephone, a large phase III randomized noninferiority study conducted in the United Kingdom comparing 6 months to 12 months of trastuzumab (Herceptin) in patients with HER2-positive early breast cancer has found 6 months of trastuzumab to be noninferior to 12 months of the therapy. In addition,...
The cost-effectiveness of population-based panel testing for the known high- and moderate-penetrance ovarian and breast cancer mutations, including BRCA1, BRCA2, RAD51C, RAD51D, BRIP1, and PALB2, was not known. Now, a study evaluating the cost-effectiveness of screening the general population for...
In 2007, the International Agency for Research on Cancer classified shift work with circadian disruption or chronodisruption as a probable human carcinogen. Now, a meta-analysis investigating whether long-term shift work increases the risks of common cancers in women has found that, overall, night...
A prospective study by Palmer et al assessing the relationship of type 2 diabetes and the incidence of estrogen receptor–negative and estrogen receptor–positive breast cancer among African American women has found statistically significant evidence of an increased risk of estrogen...
A self-controlled clinical trial by Hanai et al investigating the efficacy of cryotherapy for the prevention of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy in patients with breast cancer treated with paclitaxel has found that cryotherapy resulted in a clinically and statistically significant...
Currently, two medications have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to reduce the risk of breast cancer: tamoxifen and raloxifene. Both medications, selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs), have been shown to reduce the risk for breast cancer by up to 50% in prevention...
According to the American Cancer Society, about 316,120 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed this year, and over 40,000 women will die of the disease. Between 10% and 20% of women diagnosed with cancer are current smokers. Now, a prospective study by Parada et al investigating whether...
Triple-negative breast cancer is a highly aggressive breast cancer that lacks hormone receptors and overexpression of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2/neu), and, therefore, there are no targeted treatments available for the cancer. Triple-negative breast cancer afflicts African...
Despite the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendation that women between the ages of 50 and 74 undergo mammography every 2 years, only about 50% of American Muslim women do so, compared with 67% of all American women. A study by Padela et al investigating the mammography-related barrier...
Cancers caused by mismatch repair (MMR)-deficiency involve gene mutations that affect the ability of the cell to repair the mistakes that may occur during the DNA replication process. MMR-deficient tumors have 10 to 100 times more mutations than tumors with intact MMR pathways. A study...
A study by Mariotto et al investigating the prevalence of women living with metastatic breast cancer in the United States estimates that there are 154,794 women living with the disease. In addition, the median and 5-year relative survival for women initially diagnosed with metastatic breast...
A pathologic complete response to presurgical therapy occurs in between 40% and 50% of patients with HER2-positive and triple-negative breast cancer, raising the question of the need for surgery for all patients after neoadjuvant chemotherapy indicates a pathologic complete response in...
Although adolescence is a highly susceptible time for mammary carcinogenesis, few prospective studies have examined the role of adolescent diet and breast cancer risk. Now, a study investigating the association of an adolescent and early adulthood dietary pattern that promotes chronic inflammation...
Although adjuvant chemotherapy decreases the risk of breast cancer recurrence, it is associated with distressing side effects, including hair loss. A prospective randomized trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of the Orbis Paxman Hair Loss Prevention System (OPHLPS), a scalp-cooling device that ...
Venous thromboembolism is a serious—and sometimes fatal—complication of cancer and chemotherapy treatment. Since breast cancer is one of the most common cancers, it accounts for a large number of cancer-related cases of venous thromboembolism. Routine thromboprophylaxis, however, is not ...
A collaborative modeling study evaluating outcomes for various screening intervals for women over the age of 50 based on breast density and risk for breast cancer has found that average-risk women with low breast density undergoing triennial screening and higher-risk women with high breast density...
A laboratory study led by scientists at the National Institutes of Health investigating how BRCA1- and BRCA2-mutant cell breast cancers eventually acquire resistance to DNA-damaging drugs has identified several proteins that promote destabilization of replication forks and contribute to drug...
A large observational study examining the variation in breast density assessment among radiologists in clinical practice has found a wide variation—from 6.3% to 84.5%—in the percentage of mammograms rated as showing dense breasts, which persisted after adjusting for patient...
Although the Institute of Medicine recommends the implementation of treatment summaries and survivorship care plans as a mechanism to improve ongoing clinical and coordination of oncology care and to address the immediate post-treatment and long-term effects of cancer therapy, empirical evidence...
A large prospective study of postmenopausal women investigating an association between periodontal disease and breast cancer risk has found that among all women in the study, the risk of breast cancer was 14% higher in women who had periodontal disease. Among women who had quit smoking within the...
Two studies evaluating the ability of myChoice HRD, a homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) test, to identify patients with breast cancer who are likely to respond to platinum-containing therapies have found that the test is effective in optimizing therapy selection for patients. The diagnostic ...
Among women with early-stage breast cancer, those who received breast-conserving surgery plus radiation had improved overall survival after 10 years compared with patients who received a mastectomy—76.8% vs 59.7%, respectively—according to a Dutch study by van Maaren et al. After...
A study by Chandarlapaty et al investigating whether mutations in the estrogen receptor are common in patients with advanced breast cancer and how they affect patient outcomes has found that the D538G and Y537S mutations in the estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1) gene are prevalent in patients with advanced ...
Studies show that an estimated 67% of women aged 40 and older undergo screening mammography every 1 to 2 years. Over the course of 10 screening mammograms, the estimated cumulative probability of at least one false-positive result is 61% for women screened annually and 42% for women screened...
A prediction model created for projecting absolute invasive breast cancer risk in Hispanic women provides a more accurate assessment of their risk of developing breast cancer compared with existing models that are based on data from non-Hispanic women, according to a new study by Banegas et al....
Although white women have historically had higher incidence rates of breast cancer than African American women, a new report by the American Cancer Society (ACS) finds that, in 2012, the rates converged. The incidence rates were significantly higher in black women than in white women in seven...
After commissioning a systematic evidence review of the breast cancer screening literature to inform an update of its 2003 breast cancer screening interval guideline, the American Cancer Society (ACS) released new guidelines for women at average risk of breast cancer. The recommendations include...
Although mammographic screening leads to reductions in breast cancer mortality, some women experience psychosocial side effects and do not benefit from screening, according to a study by Bolejko et al investigating the prevalence and predictors of the psychosocial consequences of false-positive...
A study comparing the effects of moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise on body fat in inactive postmenopausal women has found that 300 minutes of vigorous exercise each week was superior in reducing total fat and other adiposity measures, especially in obese women, than shorter amounts of exercise. ...
A prospective study examining weight gain in breast cancer survivors compared with cancer-free women from a familial risk cohort has found that, overall, breast cancer survivors gained significantly more weight than cancer-free women of the same age and menopausal status. According to the study...
A study investigating the process involved in metastatic breast cancer has found that patients with high levels of the protein activin-like receptor kinase (ALK) 1 in the blood vessels of their tumors were more likely to develop metastatic disease than patients without endothelial expression of...
To provide guidance on high-value cancer care screening strategies, the American College of Physicians (ACP) recently reviewed clinical guidelines issued by various medical organizations for screening strategies in five common cancers for asymptomatic, average-risk adults. The five cancers focused...
A large prospective study investigating the association between dense breast tissue and the risk for interval breast cancer has found that breast density alone should not be the sole criterion for recommending supplemental breast imaging, because not all women with dense breasts have high interval...
A study by Sineshaw et al has found that black men with early-stage breast cancer who were younger than age 65 had a 76% higher risk of death than whites. However, the disparity was significantly reduced after adjusting for differences in insurance and income, suggesting the importance of...
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has issued its updated draft recommendation statement on mammography screening guidelines. The revised guidelines still recommend that women aged 50 to 74 get mammography screening for breast cancer every 2 years and now states that the decision to...
A population-based study of women who had undergone surgery for breast cancer has found that many lacked understanding of the basic characteristics of their disease, including stage, grade, and tumor characteristics. Minority patients were less likely than white patients to have the correct...