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 previous month’s news that we feel is most interesting and relevant.
June 4: A twice-daily pill can dramatically reduce the risk of breast cancer recurrence in women with hereditary breast cancer, triggered by the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes, researchers report. The pill (olaparib) works by blocking a natural enzyme called PARP that normally fixes DNA damage in healthy cells, but in these cases it actually promotes the growth of cancerous cells. The drug is already approved for women with metastatic breast cancer; this research examined women with earlier stages of the disease. Read more in Health Day HERE.
June 7: Diets full of processed meats, butter, fried foods, and sugary treats may increase your risk of breast cancer, new evidence suggests. Women who ate more of these inflammatory foods had up to 12% higher risk of developing breast cancer, researchers found. Read the whole story in Insider HERE.
June 10: Breast cancer patients who have adequate levels of vitamin Dat the time of their diagnosis have better long-term outcomes, a new study finds. Read the full story in Health Day HERE.
June 14: Oncologists may be underestimating how many breast cancer patients are using some type of complementary medicine or alternative treatments, according to a new survey. The survey showed that oncologists were discussing complementary medicine with only about half of patients, and that oncologists and patients differed in their opinions as to which type of treatments offered the most benefit and improvement to quality of life. Read more about this story in Cancer Health HERE.
June 15: Rates of breast cancer-related genetic mutations in Black and white women are the same, according to a new study that contradicts previous research. Compared to white women, Black women are more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer before age 50 or with aggressive breast cancer. It wasn't known if this was due to racial differences in breast cancer-related genetic mutations, making it unclear whether race should help guide genetic testing; this new research seems to indicate race shouldn't be an independent factor in testing decisions. Read more in US News and World Report HERE.
June 16: Researchers have developed a new breast cancer-specific immunotherapy that connects the body's natural "killer" immune cells with special proteins that help it kill breast cancer cells without killing other cells - even in hard-to-treat triple negative breast cancer. The research targets prolactin receptors; over 90 percent of breast cancer cells express prolactin receptors, including triple negative breast cancer cells. Read the full story in News Medical HERE.
June 21: Drugs routinely used during fertility treatments to release eggs do not increase the risk of developing breast cancer, new research has shown. Fertility drugs to stimulate ovaries to release eggs (thus increasing estrogen hormone production, which can affect breast cells) have been used to treat infertility since the early 1960s. There has been concern that this could turn the cells cancerous, which is refuted by this new research. Read more in Science Daily HERE.
June 22: According to new research, silicone breast implants with a smoother surface design have less risk of producing inflammation and other immune system reactions than those with more roughly textured coatings. Read more in News Medical HERE.
June 28: According to new research, a maternal diet rich in Omega-3 fatty acids protects from breast cancer development in offspring. Read the full story in News Medical HERE.