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| 19 Jun 2006 10:30:22 pm |
 Unacceptable Delay For Breast Cancer Gene Test |
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Health system of UK was in the news recently because of the unwillingness to provide Herceptin to deserving breast cancer patients. Now it is once again coming to spotlight because of delay in providing genetic test to deserving patients who may have inherited the breast cancer gene.
As per reports women are suffering significant delays, amounting to two years or more to see if they carry a gene that increases the risk of breast cancer. Many women are getting prophylactic mastectomies just to deal with the uncertainties associated with long delay of getting breast cancer gene tests. This means that many women who may not actually need mastectomy may be undergoing breast removal surgeries because of the delay in providing the test.
Those who can afford for this expensive gene test pay from pocket, without waiting for the long delay. The test costs around $2500 in the United States, and could be more expensive in UK. Those who cannot afford to pay for the test have the option of waiting for two years or more or undergoing mastectomy without waiting for the test results. None of these two options are acceptable in the civilized world. In some cases women who had gene test done in the year 2002 is still waiting for the results.
Government says laboratories were "making excellent progress" towards meeting the goal (yes very obviously!). |
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Category : Breast cancer treatment
| By : Janet |  Comments [15] |  Trackbacks [0] |
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| 16 Jun 2006 09:56:30 am |
| Walk For Breast Cancer |
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Many breast cancer patients may not be inclined to do much of walking, especially while having chemotherapy, but research has shown that mild exercise can help women feel better while undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer. This finding comes from Australian researchers.
In a study of Queensland and Victorian women researchers found that a 20 minute walk two or three times a week was well worth the effort. Patsy Yates, Queensland University of Technology nursing researcher Patsy said that many women undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer reported they felt so tired they did not want to get out of bed or even to concentrate on the usual day to day activities.
"One woman told me what a process it was to make sandwiches for her children to go to school because of her fatigue," Prof Yates said.
But contrary to traditional medical advice and the women's intuitive desire to rest, some regular light exercise actually improved their sense of wellbeing and gave them more energy for the things they enjoyed, she said.
"There's some good research which tells us that probably over the years we may have been giving women the wrong advice about resting and that sort of thing," Prof Yates said.
"We are not sure why exercise works but it could be because it keeps your body conditioned so the effort to do other things is less."
Women in the study found walking for 20 to 30 minutes at least twice a week made them fell better - but only if they had exercised regularly before their treatment.
It was important to take medical advice about starting an exercise program following chemotherapy if they had not been on one before.
Prof Yates also said recovering breast cancer patients often suffered fatigue for many years after their treatment.
The next phase of her research was aimed at looking at ways of helping those women maintain their energy levels and wellbeing for the rest of their lives.
Source: Sydney Morning Herald |
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Category : Breast cancer treatment
| By : Janet | Comments [29] | Trackbacks [0] |
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| 16 Jun 2006 09:42:55 am |
| Lignans' For Breast Cancer Protection |
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A high intake of plant lignans could reduce the risk of breast cancer for pre-menopausal women by 78 per cent, says new research from Germany that adds significantly to the current body of science.
Plant lignans, from sources such as flax seed, whole grain cereals, berries, vegetables and fruits, are metabolised in the colon by microflora into enterodiol and enterolactone.
Lignans are well-known phytoestrogens - active substances derived from plants that have a weak oestrogen-like action that have been linked before to breast health, as well as benefits for postmenopausal women.
The new study, published in the European Journal of Cancer Prevention (Vol. 15, pp. 225-232), reports that women with high plasma levels of enterolactone (above 12.96 nanomoles per litre), linked to high lignan intake, was associated with a 58 per cent reduction of breast cancer risk.
"To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate both calculated enterolactone on the basis of food intake and data from biomarker measurement (plasma enterolactone) in relation to breast cancer risk," wrote lead author Regina Piller from the Technical University of Munich.
Read more:
Image credit: wheatmontana.com |
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Category : General
| By : Janet | Comments [19] | Trackbacks [0] |
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| 14 Jun 2006 09:50:57 am |
| A Pink Phone To Benefit Breast Cancer Foundation |
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Now Sanyo and Qwest are jointly offering a pink phone to promote the cause of breast cancer. Ten percent of the sales from this phone would go to Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation for raising awareness about breast cancer. At the present time only one model (Sanyo 3100) is available, but the company says more models would be available soon. This phone is tagged as a "pink phone with a heart" and has all new and nice features like a sleek design, dual LCD displays, a built-in camera, walkie-talkie-style communication, wireless download capabilities and an external speaker.
The phone has a friendly flip open design and has a VGA camera with digital zoom and a 65K-color internal display. The phone is compatible with digital and current services like Sprint PCS Vision, Sprint PCS Picture Mail and Ready Link. This phone costs $49.99 with two-year contract and weighs 3.5 ounces. Features of the phone include parental or business call-restriction settings.
"A key to our success at the Komen Foundation is that we collaborate with a variety of organizations to provide creative ways for people to make a difference in the fight against breast cancer," said Cindy Schneible, vice president of cause-related marketing and sponsorship at the Komen Foundation. "We are proud to have the opportunity to partner with Qwest and SANYO to allow wireless phone users to make a bold statement about breast cancer awareness and a valuable contribution to breast cancer research and community outreach programs."
"This is the pink phone with a heart," said Teresa Taylor, Qwest's executive vice president and chief human resources officer. "We are proud to work with SANYO to advance this important cause, and we hope our pink phones become another symbol of the Komen Foundation's important work in our community."
Features:
- VGA camera with digital zoom
- Four fashionable colors
- 65K-color internal display
- Large external display
- Convenient speakerphone
- Sprint PCS VisionSM–compatible for vivid multimedia services*
- Sprint PCS Picture MailSM–capable so you can send digital pictures by e-mail*
- Ready LinkSM–capable for walkie-talkie–style communication*
- Supports Two-Way Text Messaging (additional charges apply)
- Hands-free voice-activated dialing
- Easy-to-use voice memo feature
- 300-contact directory
- Parental or business call-restriction settings
- English and Spanish support
- CDMA talk time: Up to 3.6 hours
- Unit dimensions: 3.31 inches x 1.83 inches x 1.01 inches
- Unit weight: 3.5 ounces
* Requires subscription to additional feature.
Product page |
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Category : Breast cancer treatment
| By : Sherin | Comments [46] | Trackbacks [0] |
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| 13 Jun 2006 09:40:59 am |
| Kylie Minogue Returns To Stage After Breast Cancer Treatment |
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Good news for pop music lovers! Kylie Minogue is back on the stage. Kylie Minogue sang to a delighted crowd in London last weekend in her first live performance since she was diagnosed with breast cancer last year. With a sporting short, beautifully cropped hair and her popular wide smile, the 38-year-old joined her younger sister, Dannii, who was performing at the Astoria on Saturday night.
This was a surprise appearance for Kylie and she sang the chorus of Dannii's song "Jump To The Beat".
Daily Mirror showed pictures of the two sisters hugging each other on the stage, with Minogue looking as radiant and sparkling as ever despite her fight against breast cancer.
Kylie Minogue was diagnosed with breast cancer in May 2005 while she was preparing for the Australian leg of her Showgirl Tour.
With the diagnosis of breast cancer Minogue postponed her Australian and Asian tours and had undergone breast cancer surgery in Melbourne and had received further treatment in Europe.
Kylie Minogue completed her treatment in December. Kylie is keen to come back to work as per reports from her publicist.
Source: |
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Category : Breast cancer treatment
| By : Janet | Comments [26] | Trackbacks [0] |
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| 12 Jun 2006 09:47:50 am |
| A Sea Of Pink Ribbons |
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Woodward Avenue turned into a sea of pink ribbons when tens of thousand walked and ran through the streets in Detroit. This was in support of the fund-raiser for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and to raises public awareness of breast cancer.
Thousands of men and women gathered under the sunny skies and joined various programs including walking, jogging and running long distances. The walk and run stated at Woodward and ended at Comerica Park. The morning presented a mixture of sweetness and bitterness as the participants enjoyed the triumphs and remembered their loved ones who lost their lives to breast cancer.
Jan Tevelman, a 55-year-old Sterling Heights resident, has participated for nine years, since her sister was diagnosed with breast cancer.
This year, Tevelman was a volunteer coordinator for various teams in the event. Her sister died six years ago and as many as 176 friends and relatives have since run the race in her honor.
"It was a wonderful, wonderful day," Tevelman said. "It means so much to my family to be here. Lots of my sister's friends and co-workers come and join us. It is a wonderful tribute."
In 1982 the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation was founded by Nancy Brinker as a way to honor her sister, who died of the disease at age 36.
"Despite tremendous progress, there is still much work to be done in the fight against breast cancer," said Dr. John C. Ruckdeschel, president and CEO of the Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit, which presented the race.
Last year a record 30,000 people participated in Metro Detroit and raised more than $1 million. Official totals for this year were not immediately available, but organizers believe more than 25,000 people participated. Similar events are held nationwide.
News report and image courtesy of detnews.com
Image: Ankur Dholakia/The Detroit News |
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Category : Breast cancer treatment
| By : Janet | Comments [2] | Trackbacks [0] |
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| 09 Jun 2006 09:58:33 am |
| Herceptin Would Be Available To All Deserving Patients in UK |
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We have written in this column many times regarding the plight of breast cancer patients in UK. Even though herceptin was approved in USA and Canada for the adjuvant treatment of HER2 positive patients, the regulatory agencies in UK have been giving a hard time to women in UK. There were many protests and law-suits regarding this issue.
Now finally it looks like, thousands of women across UK will have access to herceptin after health watchdog's approval Herceptin for use as adjuvant therapy in breast cancer.
The decision comes after a long-running battle between patients and primary care trusts (PCT) across the country, to tackle what was described as a "postcode lottery" in the prescription of the drug.
We have written previously 53-year-old Ann Marie Rogers who protested, filed a law suit and won her case against Swindon PCT, which was forced to pay for her herceptin treatment. The court rat that time ruled that it was "irrational" for the trust to deny her drug after other PCTs had provided it elsewhere.
The trust had argued that the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) had yet to recommend use of the drug in early breast cancer sufferers except in "exceptional circumstances", but this was rejected by the court.
Health secretary Patricia Hewitt was last year accused causing much of the confusion when she told PCTs it was up to clinicians to decide, although cost could not be cited as an issue for refusing Herceptin.
She told North Stoke PCT that its refusal to pay for herceptin, which costs pounds 20,000 a year, because Nice had yet to conclude if it was safe or cost-effective, contradicted evidence from other trusts who had agreed to fund it.
Joanne Rule, chief executive of charity Cancerbackup, said: "Women with early breast cancer who are HER2 positive will feel immense relief after the decision to approve Herceptin."
And Christine Fogg, joint chief executive of Breast Cancer Care, added: "This should mean that no one will ever again be forced to endure the terrible stress of having to fight to access the drug on the NHS in England or Wales." |
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Category : Breast cancer treatment
| By : Janet | Comments [18] | Trackbacks [0] |
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| 07 Jun 2006 09:47:44 am |
| Yoga Helps With Breast Cancer Treatment |
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Women who are undergoing treatment for breast cancer may get benefit from yoga as per a recent report from M.D. Anderson cancer center. The study participants performed regular yoga consisting of meditation, relaxation, imagery, controlled breathing, stretching and physical movements. Women who participated in yoga scored much better in physical well being compared to women who did not participate in yoga.
This was a small pilot study, which focused on 61 women who had surgery for breast cancer and were getting radiation treatment. About half of these women took part in twice a week yoga classes. Other half served as control group.
Investigators assessed the two groups of participants using questionnaires. The questionnaire was aimed at evaluation of their general health and measured factors such as ability to lift groceries walk a mile and perform other physical activities. They also were asked about feelings of fatigue, their sense of well being and other aspects of their quality of life.
The study showed that women who participated in yoga consistently had higher scores in almost every area. Improvement was most marked in areas of a physical function. Woman who participated in yoga had better general health, were less fatigued and had fewer problems with daytime sleepiness. But there were no differences between the groups in measurements of depression or anxiety.
The researchers also collected blood and saliva samples in an effort to measure the participants' immune system function and stress levels, but those results were not available at the time of release of this information. |
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Category : Breast cancer treatment
| By : Janet | Comments [2] | Trackbacks [0] |
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| 06 Jun 2006 10:08:31 am |
| Study Disputes Claims on National Cancer Institute |
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Image: Raloxifeneand tamoxifen
As we have written previously in this column, the national cancer institute in April announced that raloxifene is equal in efficiency to tamoxifen in prevention of breast cancer with lesser side effects. However the final results of this study challenges the view presented by researchers from the national cancer institute.
In the press conference researchers from the National cancer institute said that raloxifene is clearly superior to tamoxifen in prevention of breast cancer because of lesser incidence of side effects. They claimed that raloxifene users had 36 percent fewer uterine cancers and 29 percent fewer blood clots, making it a safer choice.
However the final results of the study published show that the incidence of uterus cancer was not statistically different between the two groups. Also some researchers believe that the incidence of blood clots in the study were so low to draw any meaningful conclusion.
The release of the details of the study at the annual meeting of the American society of clinical oncology has created a heated debate among experts. Many believe that the study should have been first presented at this meeting rather than making the details known in a hasty fashion at a news conference. Presenting such important studies at meetings like American society of clinical oncology, provide great opportunity for peer review.
Dr. Leslie Ford, who is National cancer institute's prevention chief, defended her characterization of raloxifene as a clear winner and the way the news came out. She said the press conference was called to give women in the study the first word of its results without them "leaking out" as happened with two earlier high-profile women's health studies.
Other experts questioned the urgency, because these drugs are taken for five years to prevent long-term breast cancer risks, a very different situation from a drug to treat a disease that could have an immediate life-or-death impact.
The study in question evaluated efficiency of raloxifene in breast cancer prevention in comparison to tamoxifen. About 20,000 postmenopausal women at high risk of breast cancer because of gene mutations, family history or other reasons participated in the study. The study would be published in a forthcoming issue of the Journal of American Medical Association. The results showed the following:
Incidence of invasive breast cancer: 168 among the 9,745 raloxifene users; 163 among the 9,726 who took tamoxifen.
Uterine cancers: 36 among the 4,732 on tamoxifen; 23 in the 4,712 on raloxifene
Less serious forms of breast cancer developed in 57 women on tamoxifen and 80 on raloxifene. |
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Category : Breast cancer treatment
| By : Janet | Comments [13] | Trackbacks [0] |
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| 05 Jun 2006 10:04:07 am |
| Switch From Tamoxifen To Aromasin |
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Women, who are taking tamoxifen as adjuvant therapy of breast cancer, would benefit from switching to aromasin (exemestane) after 2 to 3 years of starting tamoxifen as per a new study. This data comes from Intergroup Exemestane Study (IES) which showed that this switch would result in 17 percent improved survival and 25 percent improvement in breast cancer recurrence compared to women who continue with tamoxifen for 5 years.
This study is notable because this is the first time any hormonal therapy has shown improved overall survival over tamoxifen in the adjuvant therapy of breast cancer. These new findings are based on nearly 5 years of follow-up after initiation of the IES trial. This was a large randomized double blind multinational clinical trial of post-menopausal woman with early stage breast cancer. A total of 2352 women switched from tamoxifen to aromasin after 2 to 3 years while a total of 2372 women continued on tamoxifen for 5 years. This study was conducted under the leadership of Professor Charles Coombes who is the director of cancer medicine at Imperial College, London.
Earlier results of the IES trial has shown that switching to aromasin after 2 to 3 years of tamoxifen results 35 percent decrease in breast cancer recurrence in postmenopausal women who have hormone receptor positive breast cancer. Based on this study this drug was approved by US FDA and European regulatory agencies for treatment of early breast cancer. Improvement in overall survival was not seen at that time.
There was no significant differences between in the toxicity profile between the two groups of women who took aromasin and those women who continued on tamoxifen. Most common side effects (switching to aromasin Vs tamoxifen alone) were hot flushes (21.2% vs 19.9), fatigue (16.1% vs 14.7%), arthralgia (14.6% vs. 8.6%), headache (13.1% vs. 10.8%), insomnia (12.4% vs. 8.9%), and increased sweating (11.8% vs. 10.4%).
Aromasin is NOT to be used in premneopausal women or pregnant women, nursing women or women who are allergic to this drug. Aromasin was approved in the United States for treatment of postmenopausal women with estrogen-receptor positive early breast cancer following two-to-three years of tamoxifen, for a combined total of five consecutive years of therapy. It also is approved for use in Canada, Europe, Japan and South America. |
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Category : Breast cancer treatment
| By : Janet | Comments [31] | Trackbacks [0] |
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