Breast cancer facts

May 16, 2007, 10:36 PM CT

Effect on Breast Tumors of DNA Alternations

Cancer epidemiologists at the University at Buffalo have identified specific genes that are most likely to become cancer promoters when exposed to a process called DNA promoter hypermethylation.

Hypermethylation is a process that causes genes that promote normal cell growth to produce proteins that cause cancerous behavior, or unregulated cell growth. Until now, data has been very limited regarding the mechanism and causes of hypermethylation, particularly for hypermethylation in breast cancer.

The purpose of the current study was to determine how DNA hypermethylation relates to other characteristics of breast tumors.

"It is well known that mutation in genes -- alterations in their sequence -- is one of the characteristics of tumors responsible for some of their disease properties," said Menghua Tao, Ph.D., research assistant professor of social and preventive medicine in the UB School of Public Health and Health Professions and first author on the study.

"In addition, it is now becoming clear that other changes in the DNA may also contribute to the development of cancer."

The scientists analyzed methylation status in three genes, known as E-cadherin, p16 and retinoic acid B2 receptor (RAR-B2), using tissue samples from 887 breast cancers. The samples were taken from women 35-79 years old who participated in the Western New York Exposures and Breast Cancer Study (WEB study)......... Posted by: Loraine      Read more         Source

March 29, 2007, 4:47 AM CT

Computerized reminders for mammography screening

Findings of a new Mayo Clinic study published this week in Archives of Internal Medicine show that a computerized mail and phone reminder program can significantly increase the percentage of patients receiving preventive health services and improve the value of health care.

"National evidence-based guidelines say every woman over age 40 should have a yearly mammogram, but only about 65 percent of women nationally have had one in the last two years," explains Rajeev Chaudhry, M.B.B.S., the Mayo Clinic doctor who led the study. "In this study we showed we can increase that percentage through a team approach, and we're applying the findings to other chronic disease and preventive services, too".

The scientists divided a population of 6,675 women aged 40-75 into two nearly equal groups: one to get mailings and, if necessary, a phone call to remind them to schedule a mammogram; and a control group that did not receive reminders. Among the reminded group, 64.3 percent had their yearly mammogram, in comparison to 55.3 percent in the control group. As the program has expanded following the study period, compliance with yearly mammograms has now grown to over 72 percent, with 86 percent having had one within the prior two years.

Dr. Chaudhry said a redesign of the primary care practice to enable appointment secretaries to schedule preventive services was a key to the program's success......... Posted by: Loraine      Read more         Source

Tue, 13 Mar 2007 02:17:34 GMT

Breast Cancer: To Win Don’t Gamble

This outdoor advertisement campaign was undertaken to persuade women to protect themselves against breast cancer. These special scratch-cards were distributed among women in Hong-Kong emphasizing on the persistent risk if breast cancer. The scratch card represents gambling while the message asks to get through regular check-up for breast cancer detection otherwise it would like gambling with own life.

Interestingly, to lure women the card contained text that read as 1 in 23 chances to give impression of bright chances of winning. However, in reality the stat was about general trend of breast cancer. The punch line of the card read, ‘To win. Don’t gamble. Examine regularly’. The ad would have definitely left a lasting impression on the recipients.

Via Invisible Red

Posted by: Balendu      Read more     Source

February 21, 2007, 9:21 PM CT

African American Women And Breast Cancer?

Why are African American women 1.5 to 2.2 times more likely than white women to die from breast cancer, despite their lower occurence rate of the disease? Is it solely because they have less access to medical care? Maybe not, as per a new analysis that will appear in an upcoming issue of the International Journal of Surgery. In a paper now available online, scientists propose that the excess mortality occurs partly because black women are more likely than white women to develop breast cancer before menopause, when surgery to remove the tumor may pose a higher risk of stimulating cancer growth.

The researchers, led by Michael Retsky, PhD in the Vascular Biology Program at Children's Hospital Boston, note that African American women are diagnosed with breast cancer at an average age of 46, versus 57 for white women, and that their excess mortality first appeared in the mid-1970s, just when mammography for early detection was introduced. Early breast cancer detection leads to earlier surgical removals, which may actually spur relapse in some premenopausal cancer patients, the scientists say.

"Looking at what's happening in African American women provides a research opportunity to learn how to better screen for and treat premenopausal breast cancer overall," says Retsky. "There's much to learn that might translate into improved outcomes for all premenopausal women."........ Posted by: Loraine      Read more         Source

January 30, 2007, 9:29 PM CT

Breast Cancer And Type Of Hormonal Drug

Aromatase inhibitors, a type of hormone treatment used to treat advanced breast cancer in postmenopausal women, result in a small but significant increase in overall survival when in comparison to other hormone therapys, as per a new systematic review of studies.

In addition, aromatase inhibitors -- drugs known as Arimidex, Aromasin and Femara -- are less likely to cause blood clots and vaginal bleeding than other hormone therapys, said review co-author Judith Bliss of the Institute of Cancer Research in London.

The review analyzed 30 studies involving the therapy of advanced breast cancer, encompassing more than 10,000 postmenopausal women.

Bliss and his colleagues were surprised at how few of the evaluated studies presented data on overall survival for women taking aromatase inhibitors. "Survival data was only available for about half of the women," Bliss said.

The available data showed an 11 percent reduction in the risk of death in comparison to women not receiving aromatase inhibitors.

The review appears in the current issue of The Cochrane Library, a publication of The Cochrane Collaboration, an international organization that evaluates medical research. Systematic reviews draw evidence-based conclusions about medical practice after considering both the content and quality of existing medical trials on a topic.........

Posted by: Loraine      Read more         Source

January 11, 2007, 9:17 PM CT

New Target For The Treatment Of Breast Cancer

The active ingredient in a drug currently being tested to treat rheumatoid arthritis might also one day serve as an effective means of treating one of the deadliest forms of breast cancer. Scientists with the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have demonstrated that inhibiting the activity of the protease enzyme known as TACE can deprive tumor cells of a key factor needed for their proliferation. TACE is strongly present in a form of breast cancer which responds poorly to current therapies.

"We have shown that inhibition of the TACE protease in breast cancer cells blocks the shedding of two critical growth factor proteins and results in an inhibition of a key signaling pathway that controls cell division," said Paraic Kenny, a post-doctoral cell biologist with the research group of Mina Bissell in Berkeley Lab's Life Sciences Division. "Based on analysis of cells grown in three-dimensional cultures, the inhibition of this protease results in the reversion of the cancerous phenotype of these breast cancer cells and switches their behavior back to a phenotype very reminiscent of non-cancerous breast epithelial cells".

Kenny is the co-author along with Bissell of a paper reported in the Journal of Clinical Investigation entitled: Targeting TACE-Dependent EGFR-ligand Shedding in Breast Cancer. This paper presents the latest experimental results from an on-going investigation led by Bissell into the ecology of tumors.........

Posted by: Loraine      Read more         Source

December 17, 2006, 9:48 PM CT

Use Of Mammograms In Men Is Rising

A number of men have breast symptoms, including enlarged or painful breast tissue, but the majority do not need a mammogram, say scientists from Mayo Clinic Cancer Center. Mammograms are used to check for the presence of breast cancers, which are very rare in males.

Their study, presented Saturday, Dec. 16, at the 2006 meeting of the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, suggests physicians should reconsider ordering mammograms for men, who are most often diagnosed with non-malignant gynecomastia, a common condition which includes breast swelling, a tender mass or painful breast tissue.

"Mammography is being performed with increasing frequency in men with breast symptoms, but we observed that breast cancer in men can be felt as a firm, discrete mass on a physical exam, or seen as changes in the skin or nipple," says the study's lead author, Stephanie Hines, M.D., of Mayo's Multidisciplinary Breast Clinic and Breast Cancer Program in Jacksonville, Fla. Male breast cancer is exceedingly rare -- fewer than 2,000 men in the United States are diagnosed with the condition annually, she says.

"But the problem is that there are no guidelines about the use of mammograms in male patients and few studies have been conducted to find out if they are helpful," says Dr. Hines.........

Posted by: Loraine      Permalink         Source

November 28, 2006, 8:12 PM CT

Big Magnet Ready To Face The Big Questions

The largest superconducting magnet ever built has successfully been powered up to its operating conditions at the first attempt. Called the Barrel Toroid because of its shape, this magnet is a vital part of ATLAS, one of the major particle detectors being prepared to take data at CERN's Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the new particle accelerator scheduled to turn on in November 2007. ATLAS will help scientists probe the big questions of the Universe - what happened in the moments after the Big Bang? Why does the material in the Universe behave the way it does? Why is the Universe we can see made of matter rather than anti-matter?

UK scientists are a key part of the ATLAS collaboration and Dr Richard Nickerson, UK ATLAS project leader, who is from the University of Oxford welcomed this important milestone "The toroidal magnets are critical to enabling us to measure the muons (a type of particle) produced in interactions. These are vital to a lot of the physics we want to study, so the successful test of the magnets is a great step forward".

The ATLAS Barrel Toroid consists of eight superconducting coils, each in the shape of a round-cornered rectangle, 5m wide, 25m long and weighing 100 tonnes, all aligned to millimetre precision. It will work together with other magnets in ATLAS to bend the paths of charged particles produced in collisions at the LHC, enabling important properties to be measured. Unlike most particle detectors, the ATLAS detector does not need large quantities of metal to contain the field because the field is contained within a doughnut shape defined by the coils. This allows the ATLAS detector to be very large, which in turn increases the precision of the measurements it can make.........

Posted by: Loraine      Permalink         Source

October 27, 2006, 5:16 AM CT

linking ethnic identity to breast cancer genes

Genetic research over the past decade has linked Ashkenazi Jewish ethnicity to an increased risk for hereditary breast cancer, so much so that certain gene mutations have become known as "Jewish ancestral mutations." But a new study released in the recent issue of The American Journal of Public Health challenges this approach, warning that disparities in access to care and other unintended consequences can, and have, resulted.

The study, by Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons researchers, notes that while three recognized breast cancer mutations are present in 2-3 percent of the Ashkenazi Jewish population, similar prevalence studies have not been carried out in other ethnic groups. In addition, the study finds that research linking the breast cancer mutations with Ashkenazi Jews has been beset by methodological problems that cast doubt on the use of ethnicity as the basis for genetic research on disease.

"The linking of Ashkenazi Jews to a deadly disease raises serious scientific and social concerns," said co-author Sheila M. Rothman, PhD, Professor of Sociomedical Sciences at the Center for the Study of Society and Medicine. "Focusing genetic studies on a specific ethnic group confers disadvantages to that group and others. For Ashkenazi Jews it raises the risk of stigmatization and insurance or job discrimination. For other groups, it introduces a gap in access to testing and treatment".........

Posted by: Loraine      Permalink         Source

October 17, 2006, 9:46 PM CT

Ethnic Variations In Hormone Levels And Breast Cancer

Researchers have known that a woman's natural hormone levels can affect her risk of developing breast cancer. A new study from the University of Southern California (USC) has found that the natural levels of estrogens in post-menopausal women varies by ethnicity and race, and may explain the differences in the groups' breast cancer rates. The study appears in the recent issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.

Using data from the Multiethnic Cohort Study, V. Wendy Setiawan, Ph.D., assistant professor of preventive medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, and her colleagues determined that of the five primary ethnicities/races in the cohort, native Hawaiians have the highest risk of breast cancer--65 percent greater than whites. They also had some of the highest levels of circulating estrogens.

"We had observed that some groups, such as native Hawaiians have higher breast cancer rates compared to white women. We knew hormones are a factor, so we decided to test them," says Setiawan. "The research seems to support that idea".

The researchers also found that Japanese-American women have comparatively high estrogen levels and the second highest breast cancer risk of the five groups. "This is interesting because breast cancer rates have been increasing steadily in Japanese women who live in the United States, as well as in women who live in Japan," Setiawan says. "We think it could be caused by lifestyle changes that impact age at first menstruation or other factors".........

Posted by: Loraine      Permalink         Source

October 12, 2006, 10:03 PM CT

Geometry Of Breast Cell Invasion

Apropos of National Breast Cancer Awareness month, researchers with the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have created a first-of-its-kind model for studying how breast tissue is shaped and structured during development. The model may shed new light on how the misbehavior of only a few cells can facilitate metastatic invasion because it shows that the development of breast tissue, normal or abnormal, is controlled not only by genetics but also by geometry. Though created specifically for the study of breast tissue, this model should also be applicable to the study of tissue development in other organs as well.

"Our results reveal that tissue geometry can control the morphogenesis of breasts and other organs by defining the local cellular branching microenvironment," said Bissell, a Distinguished Scientist with Berkeley Lab's Life Sciences Division, who was the principal investigator for this study. "This finding is important not only for understanding how tissue and organs get their organized shapes and patterns, but may in the future reveal mechanisms to control cancer invasion and metastasis".

In a paper published in the October 13, 2006 issue of the journal Science, Bissell and her collaborators describe a study in which the branching of mouse epithelial tubules (hollow tubes made from epithelial cells that form the network of milk ducts in the mature female breast) in culture were subjected to control through a three-dimensional micropatterned assay. Using a special algorithm to quantify the extent of branching, the researchers found that the geometric shape of the tubules determines where branching takes place. This may potentially affect where and how a malignancy spreads.........

Posted by: Loraine      Permalink         Source

September 25, 2006, 9:50 PM CT

Genetics Of Breast Cancer

Last few decades have witness significant advancement in our understanding of the genetic and molecular basis of breast cancer. Most researchers believe in a "two hit theory" for the causation of breast cancer in patients who have inherited a genetic abnormality that causes an increased risk of breast cancer. This theory assumes that eventhough these women are born with a specific a genetic abnormality with high risk of breast cancer development, additional insults induced by the environment may be actually mandatory to cause the process of breast cancer development.

In early part of 1990s, scientists have discovered mutations for the gene that is responsible for p53 protein, (located on the chromosome 17) to be responsible for causing Li-Fraumeni syndrome. Li-Fraumeni syndrome is responsible for increased breast cancer risk, sarcomas and other tumor types. In 1997, genetic mutations in the PTEN gene, which is located on the 10th chromosome, have been shown to be associated with Cowden's syndrome. Cowden's syndrome is correlation to higher risk of developing breast cancer, and characteristic skin lesions. Cowden's syndrome is correlated with elevated risk of breast malignancy and skin lesions. Recently it has been shown that mutations involving STK11/LKB1 gene, which is located on the 19th chromosome, is associated with Peutz-Jeghers syndrome. This syndrome is linked with breast cancer, gastrointestinal malignancies and hamartomas. Mutations in MLH1 and MLH2 are associated with Muir-Torre syndrome, which has been shown to be linked to elevated risk of breast malignancy, and tumors involving the genitourinary system and gastrointestinal systems.........

Posted by: Loraine      Permalink

September 25, 2006, 4:35 PM CT

Breast Density As A Breast Cancer Risk Factor

Breast density has been recently been found to be a major risk factor for the development of breast cancer. In a recent issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute this issue is highlighted. The discussion revolves around the question: should breast density be added to the Gail model in predicting breast cancer occurrence?

The Gail model is a breast cancer prediction tool that is widely used. Gail model estimates a woman's risk of developing breast cancer taking into account several factors like age, family history of breast cancer, reproductive history and history of previous biopsies. This model is widely used to identify the group of women who have high risk of developing breast cancer. This model was originally introduced for evaluation of Caucasian women and is yet to be validated in other ethnic groups.

Researchers have recently identified other risk factors like breast density and postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy. In continuing effort to improve the accuracy of the Gail model experts are suggesting that these new risk factors should be included in calculation of the risk.

The term breast density refers to the extent of glandular and connective tissue in the breast. Breasts with more glandular and connective tissue are denser by definition. A mammogram gives an estimate of breast density. Increased breast density is linked to increased risk of breast cancer. Breast density is estimated on a scale of one to four, with one being "almost entirely fat" and four being "extremely dense." ........

Posted by: Loraine      Permalink

September 18, 2006, 4:46 AM CT

What predisposes to breast cancer

Even though the exact cause of breast cancer is unknown, there are several well recognized factors, which if present in a person could be linked to an increased risk of developing breast malignancy. Role played by some other factors are not so well established. Widely recognized risk factors for breast cancer include increasing age, family history of breast cancer, and exposure to female reproductive hormones. Risk factors that are not well established include, dietary factors, and environmental factors. After this discussion about risk factors, it should be emphasized that in almost half of all women, who develop breast cancer, no recognizable risk factors except increasing age might be demonstrated.

Another way of stratifying risk factors for breast cancer is to divide them in to two separate groups. The first of these two groups consist of those risk factors over which the individual has no control, otherwise known as risk factors that are un-modifiable. Un-modifiable risk factors would include factors like increasing age, female gender, genetic factors, family history of breast cancer, own diagnosis of previous breast cancer, ethnicity, and race. The second group consists of factors that can be modified by the person, which may result in a decline or rise in the chance of developing a breast malignancy. A list of risk factors that are modifiable may include smoking, alcohol consumption, use of hormonal replacement treatment, decreased physical activity, obesity, consumption of fat derived from animal source.........

Posted by: Loraine      Permalink