Breast Cancer Information, News and Updates

Nicole Kidman is designing t-shirts for a UK-based charity called Breast Cancer Care. Called “Little Tees” this campaign is set to be a fantastic success. The t-shirts are available now exclusively at www.dorothyperkins.com. The t-shirts retail at £15 with £5 from every t-shirt sold going directly to Breast Cancer Care to support those affected by breast cancer.

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Normally the screening of women who are at risk for breast cancer involves taking a look at the medical history of the mother’s side of the family. On the other hand, a history of cancer on the paternal side may not be as well investigated. In a study published in the  the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, researchers from the Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center and the University of Washington, Seattle found that subjects reported fewer family members with breast cancer on their father’s side than their mother’s.

The authors point out that over a general population sample, women should have equal numbers of maternal and paternal extended relatives (not including mothers) who had breast cancer. However, from a survey of women’s health clinic patients without breast cancer, researchers found that while 16% of the participants reported a maternal relative with breast cancer, only 10% reported a paternal relative.
Dr. John M. Quillin, one of the authors, suggests, “The most likely explanation for these findings may be under-reporting of breast cancer on the paternal side. Future studies are needed to look for modifiable explanations (e.g., genetics education, family communication specifically for maternal and paternal relatives, or medical documentation) of the discrepancy in the reporting of family history of breast cancer to improve the sensitivity of the family history screen.”

(Source: www.medicalnewstoday.com)

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A newly published article in the July issue of The Breast Journal reports that doctors studied 12 women with breast cancer who had breast implants and used MRI to evaluate the extent of the cancer. The study found that these women have the option of breast conservation rather than a full mastectomy. All of the six patients who had breast conserving treatments retained an overall satisfactory appearance and didn’t require implant removal or breast reconstruction.

Source: www.medicinenet.com

Technorati Tags: mastectomy, breast implants, breast cancer

Researchers find a genetic flaw that can double the risk of breast cancer according to a report in Nature Genetics (requires a paid subscription to access the scientific article). However, you can get the gist of it from this story at Bloomberg.com.

“A certain damaged gene, carried by about 2 percent of all families, more than doubled the risk for breast cancer by age 70…”

These findings could help in improving the screening for the potential of getting breast cancer.

Technorati Tags: breast cancer risk, genetics