Today is the last day of May. At the end of the month, I like to step back and look at the "big picture." For those of us who follow breast cancer news and research daily, one study at a time, it can be easy to lose sight of it. At LATESTBreastCancer.com, we organize news and research by test or treatment option. The "big picture" in news and research for each option can be found on its page of our website.
This month, in our Complementary Therapies and Lifestyle sections, there were breast cancer research developments involving yoga, diet, Vitamin D and exercise.
Yoga
Two studies confirmed the benefits of yoga for breast cancer patients.
According to a May 3, 2011 story in Cure Today (Reuters), even starting classes years after diagnosis can be beneficial. Female cancer patients who attended weekly yoga and meditation classes for eight weeks had a better quality of life than those who did not. The patients in the study had been diagnosed an average of four years before. Although the study was small, it was randomised, which adds scientific value.
On May 19, 2011, Medical News Today covered an MD Anderson study which found that patients who took yoga while undergoing radiation therapy experienced improved physical functioning, better general health and lower stress hormone levels than those who participated in simple stretching. Those on yoga were also "better able to find meaning in their cancer experience."
The Mediterranean Diet
A UK study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition found "no strong association" between breast cancer risk and the consumption of a Mediterranean-type diet. In premenopausal women, there was a "nonsignificant" reduction in risk associated with increasing adherence to the diet.
Vitamin D
A May 11 study in Breast Cancer Research found no association between serum Vitamin D levels and breast cancer risk in a predominantly premenopausal population.
However, a March 8 study in Breast Cancer Research and Treatment revealed that Vitamin D deficiencies were common in women with breast cancer and associated with reduced spinal bone mineral density.
Also for breast cancer patients, low serum Vitamin D levels have previously been associated with more aggressive cancers or worse prognoses. An April 29 news story from the University of Rochester Medical Center, a December 14, 2010 Annals of Surgical Oncology study and a January 1, 2011 PLoS One study all found low serum Vitamin D levels to have prognostic value for patients.
Exercise
According to a May 9 story in The Telegraph, about 20,000 British women could avoid breast cancer each year by exercising for a half hour a day, limiting alcohol to one drink a day and by losing weight.
Finally, it's not often that I find a research abstract amusing. A May 20 study in the Journal of Cancer Survivorship examined barriers to exercise among cancer survivors. Cancer survivors reported that they were "too busy" or had "no willpower" to exercise regularly. The researchers concluded that the "knowledge concerning these barriers" to exercise "may be helpful" in designing "physical activity interventions."
Doesn't it seem likely that anyone who doesn't exercise regularly may also report that they are "too busy" or have "no willpower?" Maybe someone will design a case-control study to confirm.
Please check back tomorrow for more daily breast cancer news updates.
Showing posts with label breast cancer yoga. Show all posts
Showing posts with label breast cancer yoga. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Thursday, May 19, 2011
The Breast Cancer News Update: May 19
The beauty of the LATESTBreastCancer.com website is that subscribers are able to filter information to see only the treatment options, news and research relevant to them. Our news blog is different. Here, we summarize the day's news all in one place. Not everything is relevant to everyone. So, we're going to start adding headings to help our readers scan for the information that interests them most.
Yoga benefits those receiving radiation
For patients undergoing radiation therapy, a new study from MD Anderson confirmed the benefits of yoga. According to a story in Medical News Today, patients who were exposed to yoga rather than simple stretching experienced better physical functioning, better general health, lower stress hormone levels and were "better able to find meaning in their cancer experience."
Some HER2 positive patients may be able to avoid chemotherapy
According to a study from Baylor College of Medicine, some patients with HER2 positive breast cancer may be able to avoid neoadjuvant chemotherapy if treated with a combination of Tykerb (lapatinib) and Herceptin (trastuzumab). Women in the study were given the Tykerb/Herceptin combination once a week. After 12 weeks, 38% of the estrogen-receptor (ER) negative tumors and 21% of the ER positive tumors were completely eradicated. Another 34% of the ER positive tumors were reduced to "only small amounts of tumor left after treatment." A future study will compare 12 to 24 weeks of treatment to determine the optimal duration.
News for metastatic patients: Nexavar and Circulating Tumor Cell testing
For metastatic patients and locally advanced breast cancer patients who have been previously treated with Avastin, results from a mid-stage trial show that Nexavar (sorafenib) delayed tumor progression longer than chemotherapy alone.
Also for metastatic patients, a Georgetown study found that circulating tumor cell (CTC) counts were a "powerful predictor" of patient response to treatment. Favorable CTC blood test results may reduce the number of more expensive and more invasive imaging procedures. Last week a French study found CTC levels to have strong prognostic value. Today, the French study can be found under the news tab of our circulating tumor cell analysis page. Tomorrow, after our website is synchronized tonight, both studies will be there.
Smoking increases breast cancer risk; Alcohol not associated with risk
US News & World Report and Internal Medicine News covered a new study which found that smoking increases breast cancer risk for women already at high-risk for breast cancer. The more years one smoked, the greater the risk. In the same study, alcohol use was not associated with a higher risk.
We hope that the new headings have enhanced our daily update. We welcome any and all feedback.
Yoga benefits those receiving radiation
For patients undergoing radiation therapy, a new study from MD Anderson confirmed the benefits of yoga. According to a story in Medical News Today, patients who were exposed to yoga rather than simple stretching experienced better physical functioning, better general health, lower stress hormone levels and were "better able to find meaning in their cancer experience."
Some HER2 positive patients may be able to avoid chemotherapy
According to a study from Baylor College of Medicine, some patients with HER2 positive breast cancer may be able to avoid neoadjuvant chemotherapy if treated with a combination of Tykerb (lapatinib) and Herceptin (trastuzumab). Women in the study were given the Tykerb/Herceptin combination once a week. After 12 weeks, 38% of the estrogen-receptor (ER) negative tumors and 21% of the ER positive tumors were completely eradicated. Another 34% of the ER positive tumors were reduced to "only small amounts of tumor left after treatment." A future study will compare 12 to 24 weeks of treatment to determine the optimal duration.
News for metastatic patients: Nexavar and Circulating Tumor Cell testing
For metastatic patients and locally advanced breast cancer patients who have been previously treated with Avastin, results from a mid-stage trial show that Nexavar (sorafenib) delayed tumor progression longer than chemotherapy alone.
Also for metastatic patients, a Georgetown study found that circulating tumor cell (CTC) counts were a "powerful predictor" of patient response to treatment. Favorable CTC blood test results may reduce the number of more expensive and more invasive imaging procedures. Last week a French study found CTC levels to have strong prognostic value. Today, the French study can be found under the news tab of our circulating tumor cell analysis page. Tomorrow, after our website is synchronized tonight, both studies will be there.
Smoking increases breast cancer risk; Alcohol not associated with risk
US News & World Report and Internal Medicine News covered a new study which found that smoking increases breast cancer risk for women already at high-risk for breast cancer. The more years one smoked, the greater the risk. In the same study, alcohol use was not associated with a higher risk.
We hope that the new headings have enhanced our daily update. We welcome any and all feedback.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
The Breast Cancer News Daily Update: May 5
Today's breast cancer news addressed the long term cognitive effects of breast cancer treatment and long term benefits of meditation and yoga.
First, The New York Times covered a study which found that the foggy thinking known as "chemo brain" may last five or more years after treatment. Although the patients in the study were treated for blood cancers, the researchers said their findings were "likely to apply to breast cancer patients" and others undergoing chemotherapy.
Cure Today shared results from a study which showed that meditation and yoga had a positive impact on quality of life and stress levels years after cancer diagnosis. More about meditation, yoga and other complementary therapies, such as aromatherapy, art therapy and hypnosis, can be found on the LATESTBreastCancer Mind-Body Connection menu.
Celecoxib, brand name Celebrex, was in the news today as a potential new breast cancer treatment. Dutch researchers recently reported their findings that the anti-inflammatory induced a molecular anti-tumor response in patients scheduled for breast cancer surgery. This was a short, preliminary study. For now researchers "can only speculate" that longer treatment would result in "measurable tumor shrinkage as well."
From the biology labs, researchers in Spain published a paper describing how BRCA1 gene mutations influence progesterone receptors and progesterone gene expression. The connection may explain how BRCA1 mutations lead to the development of breast cancer. According to the story published in Medical News Today, understanding how BRCA1 genes act may lead to improvements in breast cancer treatment and prevention.
Also in biology, Canadian researchers discovered a protein that inhibits the spread of cancer cells. The discovery could lead to therapies for preventing or limiting breast cancer metastasis.
Please check back tomorrow for more breast cancer news and for highlights from this week's research publications. At LATESTBreastCancer.com, our goal is to keep you posted.
First, The New York Times covered a study which found that the foggy thinking known as "chemo brain" may last five or more years after treatment. Although the patients in the study were treated for blood cancers, the researchers said their findings were "likely to apply to breast cancer patients" and others undergoing chemotherapy.
Cure Today shared results from a study which showed that meditation and yoga had a positive impact on quality of life and stress levels years after cancer diagnosis. More about meditation, yoga and other complementary therapies, such as aromatherapy, art therapy and hypnosis, can be found on the LATESTBreastCancer Mind-Body Connection menu.
Celecoxib, brand name Celebrex, was in the news today as a potential new breast cancer treatment. Dutch researchers recently reported their findings that the anti-inflammatory induced a molecular anti-tumor response in patients scheduled for breast cancer surgery. This was a short, preliminary study. For now researchers "can only speculate" that longer treatment would result in "measurable tumor shrinkage as well."
From the biology labs, researchers in Spain published a paper describing how BRCA1 gene mutations influence progesterone receptors and progesterone gene expression. The connection may explain how BRCA1 mutations lead to the development of breast cancer. According to the story published in Medical News Today, understanding how BRCA1 genes act may lead to improvements in breast cancer treatment and prevention.
Also in biology, Canadian researchers discovered a protein that inhibits the spread of cancer cells. The discovery could lead to therapies for preventing or limiting breast cancer metastasis.
Please check back tomorrow for more breast cancer news and for highlights from this week's research publications. At LATESTBreastCancer.com, our goal is to keep you posted.
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