Posts Tagged ‘breast cancer research’

Breast cancer clinical trial hopes to speed up drug approval process

Thursday, December 22nd, 2011

A new breast cancer clinical trial being performed nationwide may expedite the process of getting new drugs approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, reports MSNBC.

The trial, given the name ISPY-2, is currently going on at 20 different medical centers and is backed by the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health. Scientists are researching a method known as neo-adjuvant chemotherapy – administering the chemo-hormone therapy prior to surgery, as opposed to the current approach of post-op therapy.

The study will show real-time results via an MRI scan so that doctors can determine whether or not the drugs are shrinking the tumor, which gives faster evidence to compare current methods to. With a speedier process, treatments can become more precise, as it will take far less time to see the effects of certain chemotherapy drugs.

“The truth of the matter is if you’re going to die of breast cancer, you’re not going to die of the tumor that’s in your breast,” Dr. Laura Esserman, the study’s lead researcher at the University of California, San Franciscio, told the news provider. “You’re going to die because the tumor has spread outside the breast and those cells can take up residence someplace else in your body. The only way you’re going to save that person is to make sure that you eradicate all of those cells wherever they may be and the sooner you start with the whole body treatment, the better off you’re going to be.”

The clinical trials are reportedly sponsored by Safeway’s food chain’s charitable foundation.

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Study finds link between breast cancer and diabetes, obesity

Saturday, December 17th, 2011

Women with diabetes may be at a higher risk for breast cancer, as well as those who become obese as senior citizens, according to HealthDay.

While past studies have shown evidence of a connection between the two diseases, the link has not been sufficiently clear and further research was reportedly warranted.

Swedish researcher Dr. Hakan Olsson, of Lund University’s oncology department, analyzed the health information of more than 2,700 women over the course of a decade prior to developing breast cancer. He compared this data with the records of more than 20,000 healthy patients.

According to the news provider, obese women over the age of 60 were at a 55 percent higher risk of breast cancer. Additionally, the risk increased by 37 percent within four years of a diabetes diagnosis.

“Olsson also found a link between abnormally low levels of blood lipids or fats, mostly cholesterol, and a 25 percent higher risk of breast cancer. Women with higher cholesterol had a lower risk, he found,” reported the source.

Because the results of the study are so complicated, Olsson emphasized that further research must be done in order to clarify his findings. Part of the complex findings included both increased and decreased risk of breast cancer with various diabetes treatments.

The Swedish researcher presented his research last week at the 2011 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.

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Experimental breast cancer drugs may extend survival rate

Wednesday, December 14th, 2011

Major progress is being made in breast cancer research, as scientists review two new medications that may slow the time period in between progressing stages of cancer.

According to the Canadian Press, when Genentech’s pertuzumab was combined with other standard treatments, patients went up to 18 months before developing advanced breast cancer – six months longer than those who underwent standard treatment only. Additionally, the drug has shown evidence that it extends the survival rate of sufferers.

Another drug, known as Afinitor, delayed cancer advancement by an average of seven months in those who were receiving standard treatment and hormone-blocking meds but were still declining. Afinitor, manufactured by Novartis AG, is typically used for organ transplants.

“These are powerful advances … an important step forward,” Dr. Harold Burstein, a breast expert at Boston’s Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, told the news source. According to the CP, these developments are the newest since the introduction of cancer drug Herceptin in 1998.

Genentech has reportedly submitted its research to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for review, so that it may be an option for those in the early stages of breast cancer in the future. Statistics did not show evidence of any harmful side effects.

“We’re really pleased that there were no new safety signals [and that pertuzumab is so promising],” Dr. Sandra Horning, global development chief of cancer drugs at Genentech, told the news source.

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Traditional radiation therapy may be the best option for early stage breast cancer

Wednesday, December 7th, 2011

A new study in breast cancer research revealed that partial breast irradiation therapy may leave women with a higher risk of needing a mastectomy in the future than if they underwent standard radiation treatment, reports Reuters.

Partial breast irradiation therapy, known as brachytherapy, is typically used in patients who are in the early stages of breast cancer, as it is a quick, more localized procedure than typical radiation. The treatment, however, may increase women’s risk of needing a mastectomy within five years by 200 percent. According to Benjamin Smith, a doctor at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, the heightened risk is due to returning tumors or complications from the radiation treatment.

“[Brachytherapy is] radiation administered to women through a catheter to kill breast cancer cells that might linger after surgery,” said the source. The procedure is most often done twice per day shortly after tumor removal, up to one week, while standard radiation therapy can last upwards of seven weeks.

“In our study of Medicare patients, we found a consistent increase in APBI brachytherapy, from less than 1 percent in 2000 to 13 percent in 2007,” Smith told the news source. “It’s our guess that this trend has continued.”

Within five years of undergoing brachytherapy, about 4 percent of the patients in the study had a breast removed. 2.2 percent of those who were treated with traditional radiation therapy had a mastectomy within the same time frame.

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FDA rejects breast cancer drug Avastin

Friday, November 18th, 2011

After months of review, the Food and Drug Administration has officially revoked its approval for the use of the drug Avastin in advanced breast cancer patients, reports MSNBC.

Despite pleading from many patients who attribute their survival to the use of Avastin, the FDA has determined that there is no evidence that it extends one’s life. The agency also reportedly declared that the drug had harmful side effects, including high blood pressure, “massive” bleeding, heart attack, heart failure and severe damage to organs.

“This was a difficult decision,” FDA commissioner Margaret Hamburg told the news source. “[But] it is clear that women who take Avastin for metastatic breast cancer risk potentially life-threatening side effects without proof that the use of Avastin will provide a benefit, in terms of delay in tumor growth, that would justify those risks.”

Avastin is currently the top-selling cancer medication worldwide. Doctors are still permitted to prescribe the drug, but without FDA approval, insurance companies may not cover the treatment, leaving patients with bills that can climb up to $100,000 per year. Medicare, however, will still cover Avastin.

“[The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid] (CMA) will monitor the issue and evaluate coverage options as a result of action by the FDA, but has no immediate plans to change coverage policies,” CMA spokesman Don McLeod told the news outlet.

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Honor Breast Cancer Awareness Month through October

Monday, October 3rd, 2011

Happy October!

This month, the nation spreads Breast Cancer Awareness with a slew of wonderful events. You can check your local listings for happenings in your area – be on the lookout for charity events like special walks and other fundraisers that you can participate in to help raise money for cancer research.

The Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation has a calendar (PDF) with a number of opportunities to join in the effort for spreading breast cancer awareness. You can do your part by sharing personal stories, joining various celebrities like Ellen DeGeneres and Martina McBride for fundraiser concerts and other shows, purchasing breast cancer awareness apparel to fund research efforts and much more. The foundation also offers educational tools that will help you stay informed and cancer-free.

Here are some links that you may find helpful this month:

  • How to perform a breast self-exam – This should be done monthly. To help keep up the routine, perform your breast self-exam at the beginning of every menstrual cycle.
  • Breast lumps information - The National Institute of Health helps explain the difference between breast tissue and breast lumps, causes of breast lumps, what feels normal in a breast exam and when you should alert your doctor.
  • Mammogram FAQ – Guidelines have changed for mammography screenings in the last couple of years. Breast cancer authorities now recommend that women begin receiving mammograms every 1-2 years between the ages of 40 and 50.
  • Understanding breast cancer risk and how to lower it – You may not be able to change your genetics, but you can create a healthy lifestyle to help lower your risk of breast cancer.
  • Breast cancer helplines – A national list of phone numbers you can call for more information about breast and other forms of cancer.

With your help, we can save lives. If you or a loved one has experienced breast cancer, please share your story with us in the comments section or on Healthetreatment. Your contribution may help others coping with breast cancer around the world.

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