Categories Cancer Treatment
Relevance: Medium-High
Most relevant for: Women diagnosed with breast cancer who have received antidepressants
Study: Does prior antidepressant use affect the treatment breast cancer patients receive?
Previous research found an association between depression and survival in breast cancer patients, but the reasons for this association are unclear. Researchers in this study found that women who had been previously prescribed antidepressants were less likely to receive breast cancer treatment that followed national guidelines than those who had not. Although the difference was small, it underscores the need for patients to discuss any history of depression with their health care providers. (1/24/17)
READ MORE ›
Relevance: Medium-High
Most relevant for: Woman who are facing mastectomy
Article: After mastectomy: reconstruct or not?
Today, more women know they can have breast reconstruction after removing their breasts for cancer treatment or risk reduction. But what about choosing not to undergo reconstruction? Roni Caryn Rabin writes about the experiences of women who decide against reconstruction in her New York Times piece “‘Going Flat’ After Breast Cancer.” (12/14/16)
READ MORE ›
Relevance: Medium
Most relevant for: People with Her2-positive breast cancer
Article: Headlines claim drug combination destroys tumor in 11 days—is this too good to be true?
A recent IFLScience headline proclaimed "Remarkable Breast Cancer Trial Destroys Tumors in Just 11 Days." This sounds amazing but it leaves out key facts. First, the finding applies only to HER2-positive breast cancer, not all breast cancers. More importantly, the results are from a conference presentation and have not yet appeared in a peer-reviewed scientific journal. What does that mean for breast cancer patients? (12/6/16)
READ MORE ›
Relevance: Medium-High
Most relevant for: People diagnosed with breast cancer
Study: Cancer treatment costs can vary widely
Healthcare providers cannot give their breast cancer patients information on chemotherapy treatment costs because not enough is known about the exact costs. New research finds that costs vary not only between different cancer treatments, but also between similar treatments, such as all treatments that target HER2+ breast cancer. (11/22/16)
READ MORE ›
Relevance: High
Most relevant for: People diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer
Article: Huffington Post article brings attention to metastatic breast cancer
Barbara Jacoby's Huffington Post piece, "How do breast cancer and metastatic breast cancer differ?" emphasizes the need for more treatment options for patients with advanced breast cancer.
READ MORE ›
Relevance: Medium
Most relevant for: People diagnosed with advanced cancer
Article: A cancer patient’s tumor is genetically profiled—how does that info help treatment?
Jessica Wapner's Scientific American article explores the difficulties of making the vast amount of information acquired from tumor gene tests useful to patients and physicians. (9/20/16). Update: THIS INFORMATION HAS BEEN UPDATED. In late 2017, the FDA approved two separate tumor profiling tests to help guide treatment choices. The FoundationOne CDx (F1CDx) genomic test has been approved to test for 15 different targeted therapies used to treat five types of cancer, including ovarian, colorectal, lung, breast and melanoma. The FDA also approved the MSK-IMPACT and developed for use by Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) to scan tumor samples for 468 different cancer-associated mutations or alterations.
READ MORE ›
Relevance: High
Most relevant for:
Study: How beneficial is online communication after a new diagnosis of breast cancer?
Newly diagnosed breast cancer patients often use online communication to find more information about their diagnoses and treatment options. But does online communication benefit these patients' decision-making process? (8/30/16)
READ MORE ›
Relevance: Medium-High
Most relevant for:
Study: Extending aromatase inhibitor duration to 10 years lowers recurrence for ER/PR+ breast cancer patients
Hormonal therapy reduces the risk of recurrence for women with early-stage breast cancer that is ER-and/or PR-positive. Standard therapy lasts 5 years. A new study looks at whether extending one type of hormonal therapy, known as aromatase inhibitor therapy, to 10 years lowers recurrence rates even more for these women. (7/26/16)
READ MORE ›
Relevance: Medium-High
Most relevant for: People diagnosed with cancer
Study: Financial burden affects quality of life of cancer survivors
Cancer-related financial burden can keep survivors from getting the care that they need, yet how this burden affects mental and physical health is still unknown. A study found that almost one-third of cancer survivors report having financial burden; those most likely to be affected were under age 65, female, members of racial or ethnic minority groups, and people who lack access to adequate insurance. (5/17/16)
READ MORE ›
Relevance: Medium-High
Most relevant for: Young women diagnosed with breast cancer who have not yet had genetic testing
Study: BRCA testing in young women with breast cancer
National guidelines recommend genetic testing for BRCA mutations in young women who are diagnosed with breast cancer. However, little is known about how women decide to get testing, or how they use genetic information to decide on treatment options. This study found that genetic testing is increasing among young breast cancer survivors, and it explores some of the factors that play into patients’ decision making about genetic testing. (3/22/16)
READ MORE ›