Here is a round-up of this weeks news surrounding breast cancer:

• A new study shows that only about 13 percent of women diagnosed with breast cancer may have had their lives saved by a mammogram. Experts studying whether mammograms reduce death rates say early detection may not benefit women with slow-growing tumors. Read more…
• There is a rise in women who are choosing to have “nipple-sparing mastectomies,” which removes only the breast tissue. While some doctors express concerns over whether leaving the skin, nipple and areola would cause the cancer to come back, experts believe that this surgery is just as safe as a regular mastectomy with the right candidate. Read more...
• Researchers delve deeper into lymphedema, a side effect of breast cancer treatment that causes limbs to swell, with a new study on how the condition affects one’s quality of life. Reports say exercise and physical therapy can help reduce the symptoms of lymphedema. Read more...
• An early study of intraductal breast cancer therapy, in which the anticancer drugs are injected directly into the breast ducts through the nipple, has shown promise, resulting in no major side effects, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. Read more…

• More than 50 percent of women who get mammograms on a regular basis will have a false alarm within a 10-year period. A small percentage will also have a biopsy that turns out normal. Read more…
• A long-term study has revealed that postmenopausal women whose breast cancer is in the early stages have a higher survival rate and less chance or relapse if they are treated with Femara instead of tamoxifen. Femara targets cancers that are fueled by estrogen, which is why doctors do not recommend the drug for women who are still ovulating. Read more…
• Researchers have found that elevated levels of hormones like estrogens, prolactin and androgens have a significant impact on women’s risk for developing breast cancer – increasing the likelihood by up to 200 percent. Read more…
• Compared to the rate in women, less than 1 percent of men are diagnosed with breast cancer. However, the cancer is often not caught until its late stages, thus men are more likely to die from it. Read more…

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, here is a round-up of this week’s news surrounding the disease.

• Statistics show that the rate of deaths among breast cancer patients is declining. However, women with low income are not seeing the same decline, as many of them are unable to afford proper care. Read more…
• In a similar story, it was also reported that Connecticut has the second-highest breast cancer incidents in the country. Statistically, there are more breast cancer patients living in Rhode Island, but the state has less deaths each year than CT. Anne Morris of Susan G. Komen Connecticut attributes a declining mortality rate to earlier detection of the disease. Read more…
• There are plenty of companies promoting their special Breast Cancer Awareness-edition products, but it is important to know just how much of your purchase is going towards fundraising efforts for cancer research. Marie Claire has compiled a helpful list of reputable businesses and what they are donating to the cause. Read more…
• It’s been said that a glass of red wine a day keeps the doctor away, and that may be the case for breast cancer, too. Resveratol, an ingredient in red wine that has been linked to various health benefits, was found to inhibit the growth of cancerous cells in a recent study. Read more…
• Women who took a synthetic estrogen drug (known as DES) between the 1940s and 1960s may have nearly doubled their daughters’ breast cancer risk, a new study suggests. Read more…