WOMEN’S HEALTHCARE
Hot flushes are linked with a significant reduction in breast cancer
risk, study finds
Women who have experienced hot flushes and other symptoms of menopause may have a
50 percent lower risk of developing the most common forms of breast cancer than
postmenopausal women who have never had such symptoms, according to a recent study.
Novel methods for improved breast cancer survival
A quarter of all women who suffer from breast cancer are at risk of metastasis – a
recurrence of the cancer. In recent years, researchers have developed a technique that can
identify in advance which patients belong to this risk group. Within the next two years
the method will be tested in Swedish hospitals. In the future, the technique may also be
used in hospitals in other countries.
Obesity may increase risk of triple-negative breast cancer
New findings confirm the risk of breast cancer among women who are obese and not
physically active, and suggests additional mechanisms beyond estrogen.
Two genes involved in hereditary breast and ovary cancer cases
Between 5 and 10 percent of breast cancer cases are hereditary, arising because the
patient inherits from the father or mother a mutation in a gene that is susceptible to
causing the illness. BRCA1 and BRCA2 have already been identified as two of the genes
to be monitored. It is estimated that 30 percent of hereditary breast cancer cases are due
to mutations in one of these two genes (which suggests, at the same time, that there are
other genes involved, but exactly how is still unknown). In any case, few of the mutations
found in BRCA1 and BRCA2 could be clearly identified as pathological. The fact is that
the mutations found were numerous; their variation even depending on the population.
Obese women less likely to complete mammograms and more likely
to report pain with the procedure, study finds
Obese women may avoid mammograms because of pain and women under 60 may avoid
the test because they are too busy, according to a new study
Red wine compound increases anti-tumor effect of rapamycin
Researchers have discovered that resveratrol — a compound found in red wine — when
combined with rapamycin can have a tumor-suppressing effect on breast cancer cells that
are resistant to rapamycin alone. The research also indicates that the PTEN tumor-
suppressing gene contributes to resveratrol’s anti-tumor effects in this treatment
combination.
Risk of breast cancer recurrence may depend on treating surgeon
Ductal carcinoma in situ, or non-invasive breast cancer, is typically treated with either
breast-conserving surgery — with or without follow-up radiation — or mastectomy. The
treatment choice depends on clinical factors, the treating surgeon, and patient
preferences. Long-term health outcomes (disease-free survival) depend on the treatments
received. According to a new study, however, health outcomes also are associated with
the treating surgeon.
Women with false-positive mammograms report high anxiety and
reduced quality of life
Doctors are calling for women to receive more information about the pitfalls of breast
cancer screening, as well as the benefits, after some women who received false-positive
results faced serious anxiety and reduced quality of life for at least a year. The study of
385 women found that the 233 with false-positive results – where the mammogram is
abnormal but no cancer is present – had to undergo more diagnostic procedures than
women with breast cancer before they were given the all clear. And women who had a
tendency to be anxious fared much worse if they received a false-positive – estimated to
happen in 60% of abnormal mammograms – than if they were actually diagnosed with
breast cancer.