Breast Cancer

Study : FDA report claims women with breast implants may be at risk for rare cancer

Relevance: Medium-High

Research Timeline: Post Approval

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Most relevant for: Women who had or are consideration breast reconstruction with implants

THIS INFORMATION HAS BEEN UPDATED. The FDA issued an update in March, 2018 about Breast Implant Associated Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma (BIA-ALCL). This was covered in a more recent XRAY review. On 07/25/19, the FDA announced a recall of Allergan BIOCELL textured implants and expanders, due to their association with BIA-ALCL. This was also covered in a more recent XRAY review.

Recent headlines highlighted an FDA report stating that patients with breast implants may be at increased risk for a rare type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. What is the scientific evidence behind this claim? (4/21/17)

Study : Nearly half of breast cancer patients experience a severe side effect after treatment

Relevance: Medium-High

Strength of Science: Medium

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Most relevant for: People diagnosed with early stage breast cancer

While clinical trials track treatment side effects, fewer studies look at the burden of side effects on women undergoing breast cancer treatment or compare the side effects of different treatments. This study looks at the severity of side effects experienced by women treated for early-stage breast cancer. (4/11/17)

Study : Routine breast cancer screening leads to overdiagnosis

Relevance: Medium-High

Strength of Science: Medium-Low

Most relevant for: Women at average risk for breast cancer

Routine breast cancer screening for women of average risk has been controversial for many years because some believe that the benefits do not outweigh the risks. Recent headlines covering a study in Denmark suggests that routine breast cancer screening leads to “overdiagnosis” of breast cancer. (4/4/17)

Article : Does metastasis happen earlier than previously thought?

Relevance: Medium-Low

Strength of Science: Medium-High

Research Timeline: Animal Studies

Most relevant for:

Sharon Begley discusses an unconventional new idea about how cancer cells spread (a process known as metastasis) in her recent piece for the website STAT. She states that, “cancer cells spread way earlier than thought, seeding metastases that cause most deaths.” (3/28/17)

Study : Does working night shifts increase breast cancer risk?

Relevance: Medium-High

Strength of Science: Medium

Research Timeline: Human Research

Most relevant for: Women who work night shifts or have in the past

The World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified night shift work as a possible risk factor for breast cancer in 2007, although the majority of the evidence for this claim came from studies of animals after their normal sleep-wake cycle was disrupted. The authors of this study surveyed women from three different cohorts to examine whether night shift work can increase a woman’s breast cancer risk. (3/24/17)

Study : Friends and family may help breast cancer survival

Relevance: Medium-High

Strength of Science: Medium-High

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Most relevant for: People diagnosed with breast cancer

Does having a large social network help breast cancer survivors have better outcomes? Research from the current study found that socially isolated breast cancer survivors had an increased risk of recurrence and breast cancer-specific mortality. (3/16/17)

Study : Patient experiences with genetic testing

Relevance: High

Strength of Science: Medium-High

Research Timeline: Post Approval

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Most relevant for: Women diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer

Patients can now find out if they have a mutation in more than 20 different genes that are associated with cancer risk, thanks to research advances and the decreasing cost of genetic testing. However, patients’ experiences and use of genetic counseling and testing with these changes are unknown. Do patients want genetic testing? Are they getting tested? (3/7/17)

Study : Research suggests exercise is safe for breast cancer patients at risk for lymphedema

Relevance: Medium-High

Strength of Science: Medium

Research Timeline: Human Research

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Most relevant for: People with, or at high risk for lymphedema after breast cancer

Patients and health care providers are often concerned about how exercise affects lymphedema (swelling in the arm or hand) in breast cancer survivors or other women who have had lymph node biopsy at the time of mastectomy. Research on this topic has been mixed. A new study suggests that exercise after breast cancer treatment does not lead to lymphedema or worsen existing lymphedema. However, because this study was small, more work needs to be done to understand the relationship between exercise and lymphedema in cancer survivors. (2/22/17)

Study : Hot chili pepper component slows growth and kills laboratory-grown breast cancer cells

Relevance: Medium-Low

Strength of Science: Medium-High

Research Timeline: Lab Research

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Most relevant for: This research is not relevant to people yet

Finding new treatments that target triple-negative breast cancer is an area of great interest. An early step in developing these treatments is learning more about the biology of tumor in the laboratory. This study looked at how capsaicin, the spicy component of chili peppers, might work with a protein found in many cancers, including triple-negative breast cancer, to stop cancer cell growth. This is the first step in a long process towards developing new treatments for triple-negative breast cancer. (2/14/17)

Study : A step in the development of a new breast cancer risk assessment tool for Hispanic women

Relevance: Medium-High

Strength of Science: Medium-High

Research Timeline: Post Approval

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Most relevant for: Hispanic women

Current tools used to calculate breast cancer risk make their estimations based on data from non-Hispanic white women and may not accurately predict breast cancer risk in women of other races and ethnicities. With further testing, a new risk assessment tool developed specifically for Hispanic women could more accurately predict breast cancer risk in women who do not have mutations in BRCA or other genes associated with hereditary breast cancer. (02/07/17)