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.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Monday, May 30, 2011
The Breast Cancer News Update: May 29
Happy Memorial Day from LATESTBreastCancer.com. We hope everyone is able to enjoy a day with family and friends. We honor those we have lost in service to our country and those we have lost to other battles.
The research world continues to fight breast cancer. Here are today's top breast cancer research developments.
Mepilex Lite dressings for skin reactions to radiation
For women undergoing radiation therapy for breast cancer, a recent randomised trial found that Mepilex Lite dressings significantly reduced the severity of radiation-induced skin reactions when compared to standard aqueous creams. The dressings reduced pain and discomfort and permitted women to wear normal clothing, thereby increasing quality of life.
Three breast conserving surgery (lumpectomy) studies
This weekend, we added three studies on breast conserving surgery to our database. All three were from the International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics and may be found on the breast conserving surgery (lumpectomy) page of our website.
The first, from The Netherlands, found that for patients under 40 with early-stage breast cancer, 10-year overall survival rates were "not impaired" after breast conserving surgery as compared to after mastectomy. In addition, patients with 1 to 3 positive nodes had a better prognosis after breast conserving surgery than after mastectomy.
Researchers from the Harvard Radiation Oncology Program found that women with basal and HER2 molecular subtypes of breast cancer had higher true recurrence rates than others after breast conserving surgery. They concluded that for basal cancers, strategies such as increased boost doses, concomitant radiation and chemotherapy, and/or targeted agents should be explored.
Finally, French researchers concluded that women who had previously received radiation therapy for Hodgkin's Lymphoma, were still candidates for breast conserving surgery plus radiation, with accommodations to protect heart and lung tissue.
More on cancer cell behavior from the biology labs
Medical News Today covered two discoveries in from the breast cancer biology labs.
The first revealed that in healthy cells, the p53 tumor suppressor can resist signals from defective growth factors and prevent improper cell division for 8 continuous hours. After 8 hours of signals from a growth factor, p53 releases "its grip on the cell's DNA, allowing it to divide." Cancerous cells lack or have defective p53. This understanding of differences between healthy and cancerous cells may lead to "new effective approaches to chemotherapy."
The second study revealed that cancer cells accelerate aging of nearby connective tissue, resulting in inflammation, which provides "fuel" for the tumor to grow or metastasize. This discovery may lead to future treatments involving anti-inflammatory and antioxidant products.
We'll continue to add developments in breast cancer research to our database and website, and highlight new discoveries here. Please stay tuned.
The research world continues to fight breast cancer. Here are today's top breast cancer research developments.
Mepilex Lite dressings for skin reactions to radiation
For women undergoing radiation therapy for breast cancer, a recent randomised trial found that Mepilex Lite dressings significantly reduced the severity of radiation-induced skin reactions when compared to standard aqueous creams. The dressings reduced pain and discomfort and permitted women to wear normal clothing, thereby increasing quality of life.
Three breast conserving surgery (lumpectomy) studies
This weekend, we added three studies on breast conserving surgery to our database. All three were from the International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics and may be found on the breast conserving surgery (lumpectomy) page of our website.
The first, from The Netherlands, found that for patients under 40 with early-stage breast cancer, 10-year overall survival rates were "not impaired" after breast conserving surgery as compared to after mastectomy. In addition, patients with 1 to 3 positive nodes had a better prognosis after breast conserving surgery than after mastectomy.
Researchers from the Harvard Radiation Oncology Program found that women with basal and HER2 molecular subtypes of breast cancer had higher true recurrence rates than others after breast conserving surgery. They concluded that for basal cancers, strategies such as increased boost doses, concomitant radiation and chemotherapy, and/or targeted agents should be explored.
Finally, French researchers concluded that women who had previously received radiation therapy for Hodgkin's Lymphoma, were still candidates for breast conserving surgery plus radiation, with accommodations to protect heart and lung tissue.
More on cancer cell behavior from the biology labs
Medical News Today covered two discoveries in from the breast cancer biology labs.
The first revealed that in healthy cells, the p53 tumor suppressor can resist signals from defective growth factors and prevent improper cell division for 8 continuous hours. After 8 hours of signals from a growth factor, p53 releases "its grip on the cell's DNA, allowing it to divide." Cancerous cells lack or have defective p53. This understanding of differences between healthy and cancerous cells may lead to "new effective approaches to chemotherapy."
The second study revealed that cancer cells accelerate aging of nearby connective tissue, resulting in inflammation, which provides "fuel" for the tumor to grow or metastasize. This discovery may lead to future treatments involving anti-inflammatory and antioxidant products.
We'll continue to add developments in breast cancer research to our database and website, and highlight new discoveries here. Please stay tuned.
Friday, May 27, 2011
The Breast Cancer News Update: May 27
It's the Friday breast cancer research wrap-up. Today, we'll highlight some of the links to research publications we added to the LATESTBreastCancer.com database this week.
Breast cancer prevention: prophylactic mastectomies are safe and effective
A Swedish study published in the Annals of Surgery found that bilateral prophylactic mastectomies for asymptomatic women at high-risk of breast cancer were safe and "efficacious in reducing future breast cancer." However, "unanticipated reoperations are common."
Breast cancer prognosis: very small tumors may be highly aggressive
According to a Dana-Farber Cancer Institute study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, very small tumors with four or more positive lymph nodes conferred a worse prognosis than larger tumors with the same number of positive lymph nodes. Dr. Rinna Punglia told Reuters Health that women with very small tumors and significant lymph node involvement "should be treated very aggressively."
Neoadjuvant chemotherapy: Taxotere dose schedule affects quality of life
A study published in BMC Cancer found patients who received twelve cycles of weekly Taxotere (docetaxel) before surgery had a better quality of life than those who received four cycles of "three weekly" docetaxel. All patients also received Adriamycin/Cytoxan. Therapeutic response, breast conserving surgery rates and survival outcomes were similar for both groups.
Metastatic treatment: studies on Ixempra and Herceptin response
A study published in Cancer found a positive risk/benefit ratio of adding Ixempra (ixabepilone) to Xeloda (capecitabine) for advanced/metastatic patients who were refractory to anthracyclines and taxanes, despite added toxicities. Quality-adjusted survival was higher for those who took the Ixempra/Xeloda combination than for those who took Xeloda alone.
Also in Cancer this week, an Italian study found that high estrogen receptor expression predicted a reduced probability of tumor response to Herceptin (trastuzumab) plus chemotherapy. For hormone receptor positive patients, the addition of hormone therapy to Herceptin upon the completion of chemotherapy was associated with significant progression-free survival.
On Monday, we'll highlight the weekend breast cancer news. Please stay tuned.
Breast cancer prevention: prophylactic mastectomies are safe and effective
A Swedish study published in the Annals of Surgery found that bilateral prophylactic mastectomies for asymptomatic women at high-risk of breast cancer were safe and "efficacious in reducing future breast cancer." However, "unanticipated reoperations are common."
Breast cancer prognosis: very small tumors may be highly aggressive
According to a Dana-Farber Cancer Institute study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, very small tumors with four or more positive lymph nodes conferred a worse prognosis than larger tumors with the same number of positive lymph nodes. Dr. Rinna Punglia told Reuters Health that women with very small tumors and significant lymph node involvement "should be treated very aggressively."
Neoadjuvant chemotherapy: Taxotere dose schedule affects quality of life
A study published in BMC Cancer found patients who received twelve cycles of weekly Taxotere (docetaxel) before surgery had a better quality of life than those who received four cycles of "three weekly" docetaxel. All patients also received Adriamycin/Cytoxan. Therapeutic response, breast conserving surgery rates and survival outcomes were similar for both groups.
Metastatic treatment: studies on Ixempra and Herceptin response
A study published in Cancer found a positive risk/benefit ratio of adding Ixempra (ixabepilone) to Xeloda (capecitabine) for advanced/metastatic patients who were refractory to anthracyclines and taxanes, despite added toxicities. Quality-adjusted survival was higher for those who took the Ixempra/Xeloda combination than for those who took Xeloda alone.
Also in Cancer this week, an Italian study found that high estrogen receptor expression predicted a reduced probability of tumor response to Herceptin (trastuzumab) plus chemotherapy. For hormone receptor positive patients, the addition of hormone therapy to Herceptin upon the completion of chemotherapy was associated with significant progression-free survival.
On Monday, we'll highlight the weekend breast cancer news. Please stay tuned.
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