Kylie Effect leads to more cancer screenings

An interesting story on how Kylie Minogue's fight with breast cancer has piqued the willingness of women to get themselves screened for any possiblity of breast cancer.

Australian pop star Kylie Minogue was diagnosed with breast cancer in May, and quickly had a breast cancer surgery to remove the breast cancer lump.

Now a study in Australia has revealed that coverage of the singer's fight against breast cancer has caused an unprecedented increase in bookings for breast screening by women of different age groups and it is being touted as the Kylie Effect, which could help reduce deaths from breast cancer as more women get screened for the disease.

HRT lowers Breast Cancer Risk

This news report talks about a new study that sounds a note of calm in the sea of concern that has surrounded recent findings on the potential risks of hormone replacement therapy for postmenopausal women.

According to this research, a woman's risk of developing breast cancer while taking combined hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is actually fairly low.

The researchers, based at the New South Wales Breast Cancer Institute in Australia, estimated the individual breast cancer risk of women up to 79 years of age, something known as cumulative absolute risk.

The cumulative absolute risk of breast cancer declined as a woman aged, as long as she was not taking combined HRT, meaning estrogen and progestin.

For women aged 40 to 79 who are not using HRT, the average risk of breast cancer is 7.2 percent (one in 14); at 50 years of age, it is 6.1 percent (one in 16); and at 60 years, it is 4.4 percent (one in 23).

Blood Test to detect Breast Cancer

A new simple blood test developed may now help detect breast cancer in women, according to a study conducted by Scientists from the Uppsala branch in Sweden of the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research (LICR), in collaboration with a group at the Lviv Regional Oncology Center in Ukraine.

The team discovered three proteins present in the blood of women with breast cancer, More details here.

Breast Cancer spreading gene discovered

Scientists have identified genes enabling breast cancer cells to spread to the lungs, a discovery that could improve breast cancer diagnosis and breast cancer treatment.

The set of genes not only reveals where the breast cancer will spread, but also how virulent it is likely to be. The genes could be potential targets for existing or new breast cancer drugs, according to the researchers.

More details here.

Early referral of cancer drugs by UK Health Minister

The UK Secretary of State for Health, Patricia Hewitt, has announced her decision to make an early referral of two cancer drugs to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) in advance of its 12th wave work programme.

The two cancer drugs are Herceptin (trastuzumab) used in the treatment of early stage breast cancer and Velcade (bortezomib) for the treatment of multiple myeloma.

Herceptin (Trastuzumab) is not yet licensed for the treatment of early stage breast cancer. Trastuzumab is an anti-neoplastic agent currently in Phase III trials as an adjunct to the standard treatment for early (operable) breast cancer. Trastuzumab is already licenced for patients with metastatic breast cancer whose tumours over-express HER2 as a single agent for second and third line treatment, in combination with paclitaxel as first line therapy and in combination with docetaxel as first line therapy.

Low Fat Diet Reduces Breast Cancer Risk

Recent results from the Women's Intervention Nutrition Study offer new hope to breast cancer survivors. It was shown that women who followed a low-fat diet when recovering reduced their risk of breast cancer recurrence by 24% over the next five years.

Results from the study, though significant, do not put closure to the relationship between fat and recurring breast cancer. Researchers note that different fats may have different effects. Furthermore, confounding variables (factors not accounted for in the study) such as the woman's life stage and life-style choices other than diet, may increase or decrease risk for breast cancer.

Breast Cancer - One in Nine Women - Dubai Hospital

Dubai's Belhoul European Hospital estimates that one in nine women develop breast cancer in their lifetime.

But Dr Rehab Abdallah Abdelrazig believes early breast cancer diagnosis and breast cancer treatment means a better chance of survival for breast cancer patients.

Women of all ages can develop breast cancer. However, the risk of breast cancer increases with age and therefore women over the age of 65 years make up the larger percentage of breast cancer victims.

Breast Cancer Risk reduced by Good Night's Sleep

A study led by Dr. Eva Schernhammer, an epidemiologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, says that the risk of breast cancer may be reduced by getting a good night's sleep.

According to the study, women with the highest levels of melatonin, a hormone that the body produces when a person is sleeping in the dark, have a forty percent lower risk of developing breast cancer than women with low levels of melatonin.

Carle Foundation to help set up Breast Cancer Institute

According to this breast cancer news report, with the help of a $10 million windfall, The Carle Foundation is now hoping to break ground in the fall of 2006 on a new breast cancer research and breast cancer treatment center in Urbana.

And if all goes according to plan, the Mills Breast Cancer Institute – to be named after its major benefactors, Douglas and Linda Mills – will open its doors in 2008.

To be built at the southeast corner of University Avenue and Orchard Street, just east of Carle's south clinic, the Breast Cancer Institute will house both breast cancer treatments and joint Carle/University of Illinois breast cancer research.

Breast cancer drug Herceptin approved for use

Following British Columbia's lead, Ontario, Saskatchewan and Quebec yesterday approved the expensive breast cancer drug Herceptin, which is being considered a breakthrough breast cancer treatment by many doctors.

Ontario approved $148 million over three years to fund three promising cancer treatments, including Herceptin, described by doctors as a breakthrough breast cancer treatment because studies suggest it could prevent the recurrence of breast cancer by up to 50 per cent.

More details on this new wonder drug for breast cancer are available here.