As an organization that serves young women affected by breast cancer, we make sure to keep up with the latest news so we know what our women face when it comes to treatment and beyond. In this blog series, we will share the month’s news that we feel is most interesting and relevant.
Dec. 4: Scientists at the National Institutes of Health found that women who use permanent hair dye and chemical hair straighteners have a higher risk of developing breast cancer than women who don’t use these products. The study published in the International Journal of Cancer and suggests that breast cancer risk increased with more frequent use of these chemical hair products. Read more on the National Institute for Health website HERE.
Dec. 9: A recent study indicates that even light to moderate alcohol consumption was associated with elevated cancer (including breast cancer) risks. In the study published early online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the overall cancer risk appeared to be the lowest at zero alcohol consumption. Science Daily has the whole story HERE.
Dec. 12: A research team has previously shown that fatty particles from the bloodstream may boost the growth of breast cancer cells. They now show that the fat particles bind to the breast cancer cell surface and are then taken into the cell, providing a large supply of fuel that drives growth of the cancer cells. Read the whole article in Science Daily HERE.
Dec. 16: Many U.S. women with breast cancer ultimately die of other causes, a new study finds, highlighting the need for survivors and their doctors to pay attention to overall health. In the new study, researchers found that among breast cancer patients who died five to 10 years after their diagnosis, only 38% of deaths were caused by the disease. HealthDay has the full article HERE.
Dec. 17: A large new study finds that women who lost weight after age 50 and kept it off had a lower risk of breast cancer than women whose weight remained stable. Women with sustained weight loss had a lower risk of breast cancer than those whose weight remained the same, and the more weight a woman lost, the lower her risk of breast cancer. See the full story HERE in HealthDay.
Dec. 23: Patients with breast cancer who use supplements during chemotherapy may be at an increased risk of recurrence and death, a new study suggests.Use of dietary supplements that boost levels of antioxidants, iron, vitamin B12 and omega-3 fatty acids appeared to lower the effectiveness of chemotherapy, researchers reported. Read the full article in Reuters HERE.