All XRAYs



Relevance: Medium-High
Most relevant for: People with Lynch syndrome mutations
Study: Cancer risk associated with inherited mutations in Lynch syndrome genes
Lynch syndrome is the most common inherited cause of cancer affecting about 1 in 300 people. People with Lynch syndrome have an increased risk of colorectal endometrial and other cancers. A large study followed people with mutations in the Lynch syndrome genes MLH1, MSH2, MSH6 and PMS2 to determine the risk of other types of cancer. (2/21/20)
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Relevance: Medium-High
Most relevant for: Young women who use hair dye or straighteners
Study: Do hair dyes or straighteners increase breast cancer risk?
Many women use products to color or straighten their hair. A large U.S. study linked the use of permanent hair dye and straighteners to increased breast cancer risk, particularly among black women. This XRAY reviews the limitations of this study and highlights the need for additional research before accepting these conclusions. (1/29/20)
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Relevance: High
Most relevant for: Women with recurrent ovarian cancer
Study: Second surgery may not benefit women with recurrent ovarian cancer
Many women who have recurrent ovarian cancer have a second surgery. A new study suggests that women with platinum sensitive cancers who get chemotherapy alone may do as well as or better than women who have surgery followed by chemotherapy. (1/21/20)
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Relevance: High
Most relevant for: Young women with breast cancer
Study: How does a breast cancer diagnosis affect employment of young women?
Most young women who are diagnosed with breast cancer remain employed one year after their diagnosis. Among breast cancer patients who were unemployed a year later, half reported that their unemployment was due to health issues. The issues that were most associated with unemployment were stage of cancer and financial stress prior to diagnosis. (1/10/20)
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Relevance: Medium-High
Most relevant for: People with metastatic breast cancer
Study: A new breast cancer drug improves overall survival among people with brain and other metastases
A promising new drug called tucatinib combined with standard therapy shows benefit for women with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer. Women who took tucatinib experienced longer progression-free survival (time before their cancer worsened), longer overall survival time and response of cancer (shrinking or disappearing). Strikingly, better outcomes were also seen for women with brain metastases, which is often difficult to treat. (12/20/19)
THIS INFORMATION HAS BEEN UPDATED on 04/17/20: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Tukysa (tucatinib) for use in combination with trastuzumab (Herceptin) and capecitabine for patients with advanced or metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer, including patients with brain metastases (disease that has spread to the brain). Patients who have received one or more treatments targeting Her2 in the metastic setting are eligible to receive Tukysa. Tukysa is an oral (tablet) tyrosine kinase inhibitor which is taken twice daily.
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Relevance: High
Most relevant for: Young, high risk women
Study: Women who exercise have lower breast cancer risk whether or not they have a family history of breast cancer
The effect of physical activity on breast cancer risk was looked at in a study of over 15,000 women. The results suggest that exercise lowers breast cancer risk regardless of family history of breast cancer or menopausal status. (12/6/19)
Este artículo está disponible en español.
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Relevance: High
Most relevant for: People diagnosed with pancreatic cancer
Update: Genetic causes of hereditary pancreatic cancer: BRCA and beyond
An update on hereditary pancreatic cancer presented at the annual American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting covered genes and lifetime risk. The update emphasized that all pancreatic cancer patients should be offered genetic counseling and testing. Genetic test results may impact treatment, screening for other cancers and risk to family members. (11/26/19)
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Relevance: Medium-High
Most relevant for: People with early-stage breast cancer
Study: A new blood test may help predict early-stage breast cancer patients at highest risk for recurrence
Which patients are at risk for a relapse of early-stage breast cancer? Tests to predict recurrence would help find people who need more monitoring after treatment and provide a chance to find and treat them earlier. This study looked at whether a blood test for tumor DNA (called circulating tumor DNA or ctDNA) is useful for finding people with recurrence earlier than current clinical practice. (11/4/19)
Este artículo está disponible en español.
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Relevance: High
Most relevant for: Women newly-diagnosed with ovarian cancer
Study: Niraparib increases progression-free survival in patients with newly diagnosed ovarian cancer
This study looked at the effectiveness and safety of niraparib (Zejula), a PARP inhibitor, as maintenance therapy in newly diagnosed ovarian cancer patients who had a response to chemotherapy. (11/5/19)
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Relevance: Medium-Low
Most relevant for: Women diagnosed with Ductal Carcinoma In Situ (DCIS)
Personal Story: A “flu shot” against breast cancer? Not so fast
There have been multiple reports in the media of a Florida woman who had a "shot" to treat her DCIS with a promising outcome. This XRAY reviews the underlying story about this early breast cancer vaccine trial. (10/25/19)
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