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New content on NCI's Office of Women's Health Web site
The NCI Office of Women's Health (OWH) recently added new content to their Research on Cancers in Women Web site.
The site highlights NCI-supported research to understand, prevent, diagnose, and treat cancers that affect women only or cancers with a high impact on women. In addition to disease-specific sections, the site features special topics on AIDS-associated malignancies, cancer health disparities, tobacco prevention and control, and a new section addressing cancer survivorship.
Users can subscribe online to the NCI Women's Cancers listserv to receive notices when new content is posted on the site at http://women.cancer.gov/subscribe.shtml. Users can also help improve the site by providing comments at http://women.cancer.gov/survey.cfm.
Breast Cancer in the News:
Several high-profile reports about breast cancer have received media coverage recently, including work on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computer-assisted detection, and screening mammography recommendations. With research often reduced to sound bites and headlines, it can be a challenge to distinguish the key points and understand the implications.
To help, here are summaries of three recent publications:
Digital Mammography Outperforms Film for Some Women
Study Estimates Overall HPV Prevalence in U.S. Women
NCI's Women's Health Report
Computer-Aided Detection Reduces the Accuracy of Mammograms
Computer-Aided Detection (CAD) that uses software designed to improve how radiologists interpret mammograms may instead make readings less accurate, according to new research. Use of CAD did not clearly improve the detection of breast cancer. News Release and Questions and Answers
MRI Detects Cancers in the Opposite Breast of Women Newly Diagnosed With Breast Cancer
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans of women who were diagnosed with cancer in one breast detected over 90 percent of cancers in the other breast that were missed by mammography and clinical breast exam at initial diagnosis, according to a new study. Given the established rates of mammography and clinical breast exams for detecting cancer in the opposite, or contralateral breast, adding an MRI scan to the diagnostic evaluation effectively doubled the number of cancers immediately found in these women. News Release and Questions and Answers
Charting the Course for Preoperative Breast Cancer Therapy
On March 26 and 27, 2007, NCI hosted the conference Preoperative Therapy in Invasive Breast Cancer: Reviewing the State of the Science and Exploring New Research Directions. Conference presenters reviewed the existing data on preoperative therapy in operable breast cancer and the most pressing questions impeding the wider adoption of preoperative therapy for breast cancer. After a panel discussion to address questions collected over the two days of presentations and question-and-answer sessions, the conference culminated in a "statement of the science" prepared by the conference chairs, which identified the key unresolved clinical issues that need to be addressed in the next generation of clinical trials. The conference videocast, including the statement of the science, is available to the public at http://videocast.nih.gov.
Study Estimates Overall HPV Prevalence in U.S. Women
Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) published in the February 28 Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) have provided the first national estimate of the prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection among women in the United States aged 14 to 59. Investigators found that a total of 26.8 percent of women overall tested positive for one or more strains of HPV.
NCI Cancer Bulletin Article
Strenuous Long-Term Physical Activity Lowers Risk of Breast Cancer
California researchers have found that strenuous long-term physical activity decreases a woman's risk of invasive and in situ breast cancer, according to study results published in the February 26 Archives of Internal Medicine.
NCI Cancer Bulletin Article
Studies Affirm Tamoxifen's Long-Term Preventive Benefit
Long-term follow-up data from two cancer prevention trials conducted in the United Kingdom have confirmed that women at high risk for breast cancer continue to receive a risk-reduction benefit from tamoxifen years after they have stopped taking it. That risk reduction, the reports show, is matched by another favorable development: a significantly lessened risk of serious adverse effects, such as blood clots and endometrial cancer.
NCI Cancer Bulletin Article
Switching Hormone Therapies Reduces Mortality From Breast Cancer
Pooled results from two randomized clinical trials, published online in Cancer, indicate that women taking tamoxifen after surgery for breast cancer who switch to an aromatase inhibitor after 2 or 3 years have improved survival compared with women who continue tamoxifen for an additional 2 or 3 years.
NCI Cancer Bulletin Article
Variation in a Gene May Help Protect Against Breast Cancer
A large-scale analysis of data on breast cancer risk has concluded that a common variation in the gene caspase-8 (CASP8) is associated with a somewhat lower risk of the disease. Variants are small changes that occur in a gene sequence. The results are from the second study published by the Breast Cancer Association Consortium (BCAC), which includes researchers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
News Release
Lung Cancer Incidence Rates High Among Women Who Have Never Smoked
While smoking remains the predominant cause of lung cancer, a new study reveals that incidence rates of lung cancer among people who have never smoked (never smokers) are higher in women than in men. The study results were published in the February 10 Journal of Clinical Oncology. This study is unlike previous studies that focused mainly on mortality rates and that found men had higher lung cancer mortality rates than women.
NCI Cancer Bulletin Article
IP Chemo Diminishes Well-Being in Ovarian Cancer Patients
A recent randomized phase III trial comparing intravenous (IV) plus intraperitoneal (IP) chemotherapy with IV chemotherapy alone in women with stage III epithelial ovarian cancer found that IP treatment significantly lengthened progression-free and overall survival. The researchers from the Gynecologic Oncology Group (GOG) also assessed the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of participants during the trial. Study results appearing in the February 1 Journal of Clinical Oncology indicate that women in the IP arm of the trial experienced more adverse side effects for a longer period of time than the women in the IV arm.
NCI Cancer Bulletin Article
Mammography Rates Decline in Women 40 and Older
A recent report in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's January 26 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report found that mammography rates among women 40 and older significantly declined from 2000 to 2005. The report summarized the findings from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, a state-based, randomly dialed telephone survey of the adult population.
NCI Cancer Bulletin Article
Radiation After Breast-Conserving Surgery Benefits Older Women With Breast Cancer
An NCI-sponsored study published online in Cancer on January 22 has shown that women aged 65 or older who receive radiation therapy after breast-conserving surgery (BCS) and 5 years of tamoxifen therapy have a reduced risk of cancer recurrence compared with those who do not receive these standard treatments.
NCI Cancer Bulletin Article
Women May Be Quitting Tamoxifen More Often Than Thought
When women who have early-stage, hormone-responsive breast cancer take adjuvant tamoxifen for 5 years, it can dramatically reduce their risk of breast cancer recurrence and death. But sometimes women stop the treatment early and forgo these benefits. A study published online January 22 in Cancer reveals that the number of women who do this may be higher than previously thought.
NCI Cancer Bulletin Article
Reduced Levels of Fat in the Diet May Decrease the Risk of Breast Cancer Recurrence, According to New Clinical Trial
Postmenopausal women who reduce their consumption of dietary fat and have been treated for early-stage breast cancer may reduce their chances for breast cancer recurrence or a second breast cancer, according to results from the Women's Intervention Nutrition Study (WINS). WINS was the first large-scale randomized trial to show that a change in diet can improve breast cancer outcomes in women who are receiving conventional treatment for early-stage breast cancer. This report is based on an interim analysis of the trial data.
News Release
Canadian Breast Cancer Chemo Regimen May Be Superior to Standard Chemo
Results from a Canadian-led clinical trial suggest that a standard chemotherapy combination regimen for breast cancer is not as effective as chemotherapy regimens more commonly used in Canada in preventing recurrence of breast cancer. The preliminary findings were presented by the lead researchers December 17 at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.
NCI Cancer Bulletin Article
Researchers Discover Method in Mice to Restore Tamoxifen Sensitivity in Resistant Breast Cancer
The widely used breast cancer drug tamoxifen (Nolvadex®), which can become less effective over time, might retain its full strength indefinitely if used along with a second drug, according to new research in mice conducted by investigators from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health, and their partners.
News Release
Tai Chi Boosts Immunity to Shingles Virus in Older Adults
Study compares year-long effectiveness of four weight-loss plans
Garlic Does Not Appear to Lower "Bad" Cholesterol
Herbal Supplement Fails To Relieve Hot Flashes in Large Trial
Selected NIEHS publications on the role of environmental factors in women’s health issues:
New Clues Emerge About the Cause of Joint Damage in Rheumatoid Arthritis
Scientists supported by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) have made an important discovery about the cause of joint damage in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), one of the most common and debilitating joint diseases.
New Biomarkers May Help Lupus Patients Avoid Kidney Biopsies
Researchers funded in part by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) have identified the basis for a test that would save patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus) the expense, discomfort, and potential complications of repeated kidney biopsies.
New HRSA Booklet Promotes Greater Awareness of Perinatal Depression:
Depression During and After Pregnancy: A Resource for Women, Their Families, and Friends
Pregnant women most at risk of diabetes can be identified by a simple blood test
Medical News Today
More than a third of women who suffer from diabetes during pregnancy develop type 2 diabetes within five years and those most at risk can be predicted from their blood glucose levels at diagnosis.
Medical News Today Article
Many teen girls use steroids
Forbes
Teenage girls who admit using anabolic steroids are less likely to be athletes and more likely to have other health-harming behaviors, researchers are reporting.
Forbes Article
Exercise lowers insulin in breast cancer survivors
Science Daily
Normally sedentary breast cancer survivors who completed an exercise program reduced the levels of insulin in their blood, revealing a likely link between physical activity and better outcomes.
Science Daily Article
Hot flashes may be welcome sign in women with breast cancer
Science Daily
Women on tamoxifen therapy who reported having hot flashes were less likely to develop recurrent breast cancer than those who did not report hot flashes.
Science Daily Article
Low libido in menopause linked to trouble sleeping
EurekAlert
Women whose sexual desire diminishes during menopause are more likely to report disturbed sleep, depression symptoms, and night sweats.
EurekAlert Article
Bone drugs may lead to irregular heart rhythms
MSNBC.com
Two research reports suggest a possible link between two bone-building drugs and irregular heart rhythms in a small number of women who take the medicine.
MSNBC Article
Drop in mammography rate worries cancer experts
Reuters
U.S. women are getting mammograms to screen for breast cancer at declining rates, according to a study describing a trend that experts fear may portend a reversal of progress against the deadly disease.
Reuters Article
Diabetes and heart failure is double trouble for older women
Medical News Today
New research from UAB (University of Alabama at Birmingham) shows that the effect of diabetes on the severity of illness and risk of death for patients with heart failure is much worse in women than men.
Medical News Today Article
Virus spread by oral sex is linked to throat cancer
May 11, 2007
The Washington Post
The sexually transmitted virus that causes cervical cancer also sharply increases the risk of certain types of throat cancer among people infected through oral sex, according to a study being published today.
Washington Post Article
Should women take cholesterol lowering drugs to prevent heart disease?
Medical News Today
Women in western countries are more likely to die from heart disease than from cancer. In this week's BMJ, two experts debate whether women should be offered cholesterol lowering drugs as a preventive treatment.
Medical News Today Article
Most young women don't recognize heart attack warning signs
Science Daily
Most women 55 years and younger who have heart attacks don't recognize warning signs, researchers reported at the American Heart Association's 8th Scientific Forum on Quality of Care and Outcomes Research in Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke.
Science Daily Article
Chemotherapy more effective when given before breast cancer surgery
Newswise
Giving chemotherapy to women with operable breast cancer before they have surgery, not after, helps physicians pin down the best treatment regimen and can reduce the extent of surgery, according to a new systematic review.
Newswise Article
In their prime, women face far greater stroke threat than men
PR Web
Stroke is often a misunderstood condition - particularly among women. While it is true that men outnumber women among stroke patients over the age of 65, a new study reported at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2007 found that women between the ages of 45 and 54 are up to 2.5 times more likely to have a stroke than men in the same age group.
PR Web Article
Estrogen is important for bone health in men as well as women
Newswise
Although women are four times more likely than men to develop osteoporosis, one in 12 men also suffer from the disease. In women, low estrogen levels after menopause have been considered an important risk factor for this disorder.
Newswise Article
Once-a-year IV drug scores for postmenopausal osteoporosis
MedPage Today
A successful once-a-year drug to treat postmenopausal osteoporosis, even though administered by an IV infusion, may be welcomed by women who dislike a weekly or monthly pill.
MedPage Today Article
Gender, ethnic differences may hamper eating disorder diagnosis
Science Daily
Eating disorders may be overlooked in some groups—boys and some ethnicities—by physicians accustomed to diagnosing the condition in white teenage girls, say researchers at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital and the Stanford University School of Medicine.
Science Daily Article
Researchers report new hope for menopause symptoms
Newswise
An innovative, hormone-free therapy has been found to be effective for the treatment of hot flashes.
Newswise Article
New class of genes play a role in breast cancer risk
Newswise
A University of Massachusetts Amherst researcher has identified a new class of genes that appear to play a significant role in breast cancer risk.
Newswise Article
