Breast Cancer

Capturing cancer cells

(Medical Xpress)—When dealing with cancer, time is critical. Identifying cancer before it spreads can often be the difference between life and death, so early diagnosis is key.

Cancer created Feb 26, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 1 | with audio podcast

US approves new targeted breast cancer drug (Update)

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a first-of-a-kind breast cancer medication that targets tumor cells while sparing healthy ones.

Cancer created Feb 22, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Breast cancer gene provides vital clue to bowel cancer drug resistance

Having too many copies of a gene linked to breast cancer might be the reason why some bowel cancer patients fail to respond to certain targeted drugs, according to a study published in the British Journal of ...

Cancer created Feb 20, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Scientists find promising new approach to preventing progression of breast cancer

February 15, 2013 – Doctors currently struggle to determine whether a breast tumor is likely to shift into an aggressive, life-threatening mode—an issue with profound implications for treatment. Now a group from The Scripps ...

Cancer created Feb 15, 2013 | popularity 4.6 / 5 (5) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Academics launch new clinically approved diet, that can help lower the risk of breast cancer

Two academics from The University of Manchester have come up with a new diet which they believe can help lower the risk of breast cancer.

Cancer created Feb 15, 2013 | popularity 1 / 5 (1) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Research improving breast cancer treatment by targeting tumor initiating cells

A Kansas State University professor's research on breast cancer stem cells may help improve survival rates by preventing cancer recurrence and metastasis—the major causes of death among breast cancer patients.

Cancer created Feb 13, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Researchers discover biological diversity in triple-negative breast cancer

Triple-negative breast cancers are more biologically diverse than previously believed and classification should be expanded to reflect this heterogeneity, according to University of North Carolina researchers.

Cancer created Feb 13, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Researcher identifies breast cancer fighting hormone

Transformative research from Western University has identified new hormones in the body which may suppress breast cancer and stimulate the regression of breast tumors.

Cancer created 15 hours ago | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Patenting the human genome

Can human genes be patented? That was the question posed by Alan J. Snyder, vice president and associate provost for research and graduate studies at Lehigh, and Lee Kaplan, scientific director of cellular and molecular genetics ...

Genetics created 16 hours ago | popularity 4 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Research identifies a way to make cancer cells more responsive to chemotherapy

Breast cancer characterized as "triple negative" carries a poor prognosis, with limited treatment options. In some cases, chemotherapy doesn't kill the cancer cells the way it's supposed to. New research from Western University ...

Cancer created May 23, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (3) | comments 0

Hospitals profit when patients develop bloodstream infections

Johns Hopkins researchers report that hospitals may be reaping enormous income for patients whose hospital stays are complicated by preventable bloodstream infections contracted in their intensive care units.

Health created May 22, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Japan hospital tests powerful breast cancer therapy

A Japanese cancer specialist said Wednesday she has started the world's first clinical trial of a powerful, non-surgical, short-term radiation therapy for breast cancer.

Cancer created May 22, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Changing cancer's environment to halt its spread

By studying the roles two proteins, thrombospondin-1 and prosaposin, play in discouraging cancer metastasis, a trans-Atlantic research team has identified a five-amino acid fragment of prosaposin that significantly reduces ...

Cancer created May 21, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Jolie's mastectomy spotlights legal battle over genes

Movie star Angelina Jolie tested positive for a "faulty gene" at the center of a high-profile legal battle in the United States that challenges whether human genes can belong to a corporation.

Cancer created May 16, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 1

PARP inhibitor shows activity in pancreatic, prostate cancers among patients carrying BRCA mutations

In the largest clinical trial to date to examine the efficacy of PARP inhibitor therapy in BRCA 1/2 carriers with diseases other than breast and ovarian cancer, the oral drug olaparib was found to be effective against advanced ...

Cancer created May 15, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0


Breast cancer (malignant breast neoplasm) is a type of cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas. Breast cancer is a disease of humans and other mammals; while the overwhelming majority of cases in humans are women, men can sometimes also develop breast cancer.

The size, stage, rate of growth, and other characteristics of the tumor determine the kinds of treatment. Treatment may include surgery, drugs (hormonal therapy and chemotherapy), radiation and/or immunotherapy. Surgical removal of the tumor provides the single largest benefit, with surgery alone being capable of producing a cure in many cases. To somewhat increase the likelihood of long-term disease-free survival, several chemotherapy regimens are commonly given in addition to surgery. Most forms of chemotherapy kill cells that are dividing rapidly anywhere in the body, and as a result cause temporary hair loss and digestive disturbances. Radiation is indicated especially after breast conserving surgery and substantially improves local relapse rates and in many circumstances also overall survival. Some breast cancers are sensitive to hormones such as estrogen and/or progesterone, which makes it possible to treat them by blocking the effects of these hormones.

Worldwide, breast cancer comprises 22.9% of all cancers (excluding non-melanoma skin cancers) in women. In 2008, breast cancer caused 458,503 deaths worldwide (13.7% of cancer deaths in women). Breast cancer is more than 100 times more common in women than breast cancer in men, although males tend to have poorer outcomes due to delays in diagnosis.

Prognosis and survival rate varies greatly depending on cancer type, staging and treatment. However, survival rates across the world are generally good. Overall more than 8 out of 10 women (84%) in England that are diagnosed with the disease survive it for at least 5 years.

This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.

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