Only a man who knows what it is like to be defeated can reach down to the bottom of his soul and come up with the extra ounce of power it takes to win when the match is even."
-- Muhammad Ali,
Saturday, April 25, 2015
TRIPLE NEGATIVE BREAST CANCER (ER/PR/HER-2 NEU. NEGATIVE) - A MORE AGGRESSIVE CANCER
Chemo before lumpectomy cuts recurrence risk in triple-negative cancer
Breast-conserving surgery has a 90% success rate in women with triple-negative breast cancer who are treated first with chemotherapy, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Surgical Association. Despite the success rate, 31% of the women who are eligible for breast-conserving surgery chose mastectomy instead. "We don't have an answer for why this is the case, but we hope that this work encourages more patients and clinicians to think about why this is happening and what we can do to address this," said study leader Mehra Golshan, director of breast surgical services at Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center. HealthDay News (4/23)
Breast-conserving surgery has a 90% success rate in women with triple-negative breast cancer who are treated first with chemotherapy, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Surgical Association. Despite the success rate, 31% of the women who are eligible for breast-conserving surgery chose mastectomy instead. "We don't have an answer for why this is the case, but we hope that this work encourages more patients and clinicians to think about why this is happening and what we can do to address this," said study leader Mehra Golshan, director of breast surgical services at Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center. HealthDay News (4/23)
INCREASED DETECTION OF BREASTCANCER
Study predicts breast cancer incidence will grow by 50% in 15 years
A study presented at the American Association for Cancer Research meeting predicted breast cancer incidence in the U.S. will rise by 50% from 2011 to 2030. Longer life spans and increased detection of cancers, including in-situ lesions that may not need treatment, will contribute to the trend, experts say, noting it isn't always clear which tumors can go without treatment. The data suggest the percentage of treatment-responsive estrogen-receptor-positive cases will grow, highlighting opportunities to identify "smarter screening and kinder, gentler and more effective treatment," said researcher Philip Rosenberg. Time.com (4/20)
A study presented at the American Association for Cancer Research meeting predicted breast cancer incidence in the U.S. will rise by 50% from 2011 to 2030. Longer life spans and increased detection of cancers, including in-situ lesions that may not need treatment, will contribute to the trend, experts say, noting it isn't always clear which tumors can go without treatment. The data suggest the percentage of treatment-responsive estrogen-receptor-positive cases will grow, highlighting opportunities to identify "smarter screening and kinder, gentler and more effective treatment," said researcher Philip Rosenberg. Time.com (4/20)
BEWARE OF "SPICE"
Illnesses, hospitalizations linked to synthetic marijuana use may be on the rise.
USA Today (4/24, Hughes) reports that “poison-control experts and public health officials are warning about a new spike in illnesses and hospitalizations caused by people using the drug ‘spice,’ a catch-all name for a type of synthetic marijuana.” USA Today adds, “Through last week, poison centers across the country received 1,900 calls from people seeking help after experiencing adverse reactions to these drugs – four times the number of calls as the same period the year before.”
BRCA MUTATIONS: INCREASE RISKS FOR BREAST AND OVARIAN CANCERS
Removing ovaries in patients with breast cancer and BRCA1 mutation may reduce risk of dying from the disease.
TIME (4/24, Sifferlin) reports that research published in JAMA Oncology suggests that “in women who have both breast cancer and the BRCA1 mutation, having surgery to remove the ovaries can significantly lower their risk of dying from the disease.”
The New York Daily News (4/24, Pearson) reports that investigators “looked at the cases of more than 600 women with the BRCA 1 gene mutation who had been diagnosed with stage 1 or 2 breast cancer.” The researchers “found that those who had their ovaries removed at some point following diagnosis were 62% more likely to be living in 20 years than those who did not.”
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