Breast Cancer

REYKJAVIK, Iceland -- Scientists in Iceland said they have found a fourth set of genetic variants linked to an increased risk of estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer. The findings, published in the journal Nature genetics, are being used to develop a DNA test to identify women who should be closely screened at an early age for the disease, the biopharmaceutical company deCode Genetics said Sunday in a release. The test is expected to be released later this year, the company's report said.

Destroying a tumor in a body with radiation poses a number of challenges and risks, especially for a pregnant woman and her fetus. Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute are working to reduce those risks by advancing computer techniques that use virtual models of the human body. Their latest research looks at ways to protect a developing fetus. Their goal is to help hospitals and radiologists more accurately calculate required dosages to destroy a tumor, while minimizing or eliminating the risk of damage to nearby cells and organs. The work at RPI adds to similar research worldwide.

Researchers have discovered a protein which can reduce the malignancy of breast cancer tumors and also predict whether the cancer will metastasize, according to a study published Monday. "This protein seems to be suppressing tumor growth," said study author Kent Hunter of the National Cancer Institute outside of Washington. In studies on mice and in gene expression profiles of human cancer cells, Hunter and his team found that they could dramatically slow the growth of breast cancer tumors and prevent the cancer from spreading.

Another piece of the puzzle that is breast cancer has been found by University of Queensland researchers. Dr Melissa Brown, from UQ's School of Molecular and Microbial Sciences, and her team have discovered how a particular gene associated with breast cancer behaves, which may lead to better testing for the debilitating disease. Dr Brown and Dr Juliet French at UQ, together with their colleagues at The University of Oxford, studied the BRCA1 gene and found that it exists in a looped formation.

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- A U.S. expert, who says the media can be more influential than physicians, blames the media for not reporting enough on how to prevent breast cancer Charles Atkin of Michigan State University has conducted an analysis of national coverage of breast cancer and finds the media covers patients and treatment much more than prevention. The study, published in the Journal of Health Communication, analyzed breast-cancer coverage in The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, USA Today, Time, Newsweek, U.S.

Another piece of the puzzle that is breast cancer has been found by University of Queensland researchers. Dr Melissa Brown, from UQ's School of Molecular and Microbial Sciences, and her team have discovered how a particular gene associated with breast cancer behaves, which may lead to better testing for the debilitating disease. Dr Brown and Dr Juliet French at UQ, together with their colleagues at The University of Oxford, studied the BRCA1 gene and found that it exists in a looped formation.

NUTLEY, N.J. -- A novel biweekly dosing schedule of Xeloda(R) (capecitabine) enabled safe delivery of higher daily doses in the treatment of advanced breast cancer, according to an investigational study published in the April 10, 2008 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology. The data showed that a seven-days-on/seven-days-off (7-on/7-off) regimen, called "dose dense," was generally well-tolerated up to 2,000 mg twice daily (4,000 mg/day), providing a potential alternative to the standard Xeloda dosing of 14 days on and seven days off (14-on/7-off).

WASHINGTON -- A draft report from a U.S. government agency said exposure to bisphenol A in plastic may pose serious health risks. The National Institutes of Health's National Toxicology Program urged further study of possible links between the chemical and breast cancer, prostate cancer, early puberty in girls and hyperactivity, The Washington Post reported Tuesday. The Environmental Working Group, which had criticized a previous report that minimized the dangers of bisphenol A, said the new report corrects the scientific record.

A growing number of Spokane-area women who are at high risk for inherited breast or ovarian cancer are turning to their genes for answers, in the hope that what they find might save a life - their own or a family member's. Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women, striking one in eight women in the U.S., says Dr. Joni Nichols, of Spokane-based Cancer Care Northwest. While ovarian cancer is more rare - striking one in 67 women - it's called a "silent killer" because it often goes undetected until reaching an advanced stage, Nichols says.

Incorporating genetic information known as gene expression signatures with clinical and other risk factors for breast cancer may help refine estimates of relapse-free survival and predicted response to chemotherapy, according to a study in the April 2 issue of JAMA."The advent of genomic technology for the analysis of human tumor samples has now added an additional source of information to aid prognosis and clinical decisions.