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.
July 6: Early-stage breast cancer is more likely to be diagnosed in U.S. states that have expanded Medicaid coverage under Obamacare than in those that haven't, researchers say. A new study looked at a database of more than 71,000 women diagnosed with breast cancer in 31 states that expanded Medicaid coverage under the Affordable Care Act and 14 states that did not. Differences were especially notable among black women in expansion states, with the percentage of those diagnosed with advanced breast cancer falling from 25% to 21%. Advanced cancer diagnoses among younger women in expansion states fell from 23% to 21%, but stayed at 26% in non-expansion states. Read more in Health Day HERE.
July 20: Researchers at the University of Arkansas have developed a new nano drug candidate that kills triple negative breast cancer cells (triple negative breast cancer is one of the most aggressive types of breast cancer). The research will help clinicians target breast cancer cells directly, while avoiding the adverse, toxic side effects of chemotherapy. Read more on the University of Arkansas website HERE.
July 21: A USC-led team of scientists has found that a fasting-mimicking diet combined with hormone therapy has the potential to help treat breast cancer, according to newly published animal studies and small clinical trials in humans. Read the full story in MedicalXpress HERE.
July 23: A new study published in The Lancet Global Health includes data on women from 41 countries and found that in higher income nations, including Canada, rates of breast cancer in premenopausal women are increasing, while postmenopausal breast cancer is increasing more rapidly in lower income countries. Although the study provides evidence of an increase in breast cancer rates in women of all ages, the increase in premenopausal breast cancer in higher income countries is particularly concerning... premenopausal breast cancer was significantly increasing in 20 out of 44 populations, each representing a country or an ethnic group. Read the full story HERE in Science Daily.
July 27: Research from the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center - Jefferson Health (SKCC) found significant decreases nationwide in the number of patients being seen for cancer-related care as the COVID-19 pandemic progressed during the few first months of 2020. The most significant decline was seen in encounters related to new cancer incidences, which included screening, initial diagnosis, second opinion, and treatment initiation appointments. Read the full story in Science Daily HERE.
July 30: There's a low level of awareness among American women about a form of lymphoma that can occur around breast implants, a new study finds. Breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL) is an immune system cancer. It's estimated to occur in between 1 in 3,000 and 1 in 12,000 women with textured breast implants. Smooth-surfaced implants are associated with a lower rate. There is no current recommendation to remove breast implants in women with no implant-related symptoms. Symptoms of BIA-ALCL include swelling, a mass or pain in the area of the implant. Read the full story in Health Day HERE.