Breast Cancer

Tamoxifen (Nolvadex), a selective estrogen-receptor modulator, or SERM, is currently the endocrine therapy of choice for all stages of hormone-responsive breast cancer. Only tamoxifen has been approved by the US Food and

SAN FRANCISCO-High-dose adjuvant chemotherapy with stem cell support provided no overall or disease-free survival benefit over standard chemotherapy in a randomized, multicenter Italian trial including 398 metastatic breast cancer patients.

SAN FRANCISCO-Administering a single dose of pegylated filgrastim (pegfilgrastim) each chemotherapy cycle is as effective as daily doses of filgrastim (Neupogen) in reducing neutropenia among breast cancer patients receiving myelosuppressive chemotherapy, according to two studies presented at the 37th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).

BALTIMORE-Women undergoing breast cancer treatment at the Johns Hopkins Breast Center receive extensive emotional support from breast cancer survivor volunteers, thanks to an ongoing program there. Lillie Shockney, RN, MAS, director of education and outreach, described the development and implementation of the program at a poster session at the Oncology Nursing Society’s 26th Annual Congress.

SAN FRANCISCO-High-dose chemotherapy plus stem cell rescue did not improve overall survival vs standard chemotherapy alone in women with chemotherapy-sensitive metastatic breast cancer, according to the results of a National Cancer Institute of Canada (NCIC) trial reported at the 37th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).

ROTTERDAM, The Netherlands-In the first prospective study of its kind, prophylactic mastectomy prevented the development of breast cancer in women at high risk for breast cancer because of BRCA1/2 mutations, compared with controls who did not opt for surgery.

BALTIMORE-What is safe, efficacious, and cost-effective, not swallowed or taken intravenously, and improves a breast cancer patient’s quality of life? Exercise, according to a group of researchers who conducted a multi-institutional, prospective, randomized controlled trial examining the effects of a supervised walking regimen on breast cancer patients.

SAN FRANCISCO-Results are now emerging regarding the use of docetaxel (Taxotere) in the adjuvant breast cancer setting. A large study presented at the 37th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) evaluated the adjuvant use of docetaxel plus cyclophosphamide (TC 75/600 mg/m²) and found it to be better tolerated than standard doxorubicin (Adriamycin) plus cyclophosphamide (AC 60/600 mg/m²).

SAN FRANCISCO-Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB) 9082 has failed in its second analysis to show a survival benefit for intensive therapy and transplant in primary breast cancer patients with multiple positive axillary lymph nodes. Nevertheless, outcomes in the 785-patient study, which compared high-dose and intermediate-dose consolidation chemotherapy with alkylating agents, are superior to outcomes achieved in studies of standard-dose therapy alone, William P. Peters, MD, PhD, said on behalf of investigators in the study, which was started more than 10 years ago. Dr. Peters, director of the Karmanos Cancer Institute, Detroit, spoke at the 37th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).

SEATTLE-Double reading mammograms increases breast cancer detection rates but not without substantial costs, according to a study done at Fletcher Allen Health Care, Burlington, Vermont, and presented at the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Roentgen Ray Society.

Given the well-established role of angiogenesis (or new blood vessel formation) in tumor growth and metastasis, antiangiogenic therapy, a concept first proposed by Dr. Judah Folkman,[1] has become increasingly recognized as a promising

Harmonic ultrasound imaging may obviate the need to biopsy breast cysts that cannot be satisfactorily diagnosed on conventional ultrasound, according to a new study.

Anastrozole (Arimidex), letrozole (Femara), and exemestane (Aromasin) are members of the third generation of aromatase inhibitors that has now replaced aminoglutethimide (Cytadren), the progestins, and tamoxifen

Anastrozole (Arimidex), letrozole (Femara), and exemestane (Aromasin) are members of the third generation of aromatase inhibitors that has now replaced aminoglutethimide (Cytadren), the progestins, and tamoxifen

Anastrozole (Arimidex), letrozole (Femara), and exemestane (Aromasin) are members of the third generation of aromatase inhibitors that has now replaced aminoglutethimide (Cytadren), the progestins, and tamoxifen

SAN FRANCISCO-Preliminary results of an ongoing phase III study suggest that weekly paclitaxel (Taxol) followed by FAC (fluorouracil/Adriamycin/cyclophosphamide) provides improved pathologic complete response rates, compared with standard paclitaxel followed by FAC, M.D. Anderson researchers reported at the 37th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), held in San Francisco.

In two phase II clinical trials presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, researchers found that gemcitabine (Gemzar) alone and in combination with docetaxel

SAN FRANCISCO-Canadian breast cancer patients who tested a decision aid called the Decision Board in a randomized trial were better informed about their chemotherapy options and more satisfied with the decision-making process than a control group of patients who relied on a traditional medical consultation.

SAN FRANCISCO-One in five women in a population-based study of breast cancer patients did not fill all her tamoxifen (Nolvadex) prescriptions during the first year of adjuvant tamoxifen therapy. The oldest and youngest patients and nonwhite patients were least likely to adhere to their tamoxifen regimens.

DALLAS-Responding to a growing body of research that suggests cognitive dysfunction and asthenia are prevalent side effects of adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer, Joyce O’Shaughnessy, MD, of US Oncology is investigating recombinant human erythropoietin as a neuroprotective agent.

Weekly administration of the drug paclitaxel (Taxol) is as effective and well tolerated in advanced breast cancer patients over

Two senators have introduced legislationaimed at exploring potential links between environmental exposure and breast

WASHINGTON-Fear that hormones may increase the risk of cancer recurrence has long discouraged US physicians from recommending estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) to breast cancer survivors, despite its proven advantages for health and quality of life.

Research presented at the 37th annual meeting ofthe American Society of Clinical Oncology

NEW YORK-"I’m going to die," Jerri Nielsen, MD, recalled thinking when she discovered a lump in her right breast while she was the physician at the Admundsen-Scott South Pole Station. "I’m going to die here, or I’m going to die after I get off the ice."

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla-Eighty percent of breast cancer survivors were found to have osteoporosis or osteopenia at the outset of a University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Nursing pilot study into preventing osteoporosis among survivors.

SAN FRANCISCO-The addition of docetaxel (Taxotere) to an anthracycline (doxorubicin)-containing regimen may improve response rates in the first-line treatment of metastatic breast cancer. The findings come from a large international trial, TAX 307, presented at the 37th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in San Francisco.

WASHINGTON-Cutting-edge molecular research supported by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) promises revolutionary changes in the way physicians screen, diagnose, and treat breast cancer, NCI director Richard D. Klausner, MD, told the Senate appropriations subcommittee that oversees the NCI.

SAN FRANCISCO-Elderly women who survived breast cancer received more preventive health care overall than a matched control group of cancer-free women. This finding was based on a review of financial records by researchers at the Center for Outcomes and Policy Research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.

SAN FRANCISCO-The impact of achieving amenorrhea during treatment for premenopausal breast cancer is controversial, according to data from the National Cancer Institute of Canada (NCIC) Clinical Trials Group (CTG). A common occurrence among premenopausal breast cancer patients, treatment-induced amenorrhea is often considered a positive prognostic factor. The NCIC CTG data was unable to demonstrate such an effect.