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Education > XRAY > Breast Cancer

FORCE's eXamining the Relevance of Articles for You (XRAY) program looks behind the headlines of cancer news to help you understand what the research means for you. XRAY is a reliable source of hereditary cancer research-related news and information.
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Breast Cancer

241 through 250 of 260

Relevance: Medium-High

Strength of Science: Medium-High

Research Timeline: Post Approval

Study : Smoking before or after a breast cancer diagnosis associated with poorer breast cancer survival

Relevance: Medium-High

Strength of Science: Medium-High

Research Timeline: Post Approval

Most relevant for: People who smoke cigarettes

Cigarette smoking is an important public health issue that causes more than 480,000 deaths annually. Smoking increases the risk of many diseases, from heart disease to stroke. This research indicates that smoking before and or after a diagnosis of breast cancer affects survival, and also shows that it is never too late to quit smoking. (02/23/16)

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Relevance: Medium-High

Strength of Science: High

Research Timeline: Post Approval

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Study : How do ultrasound and mammography compare in breast cancer screening?

Relevance: Medium-High

Strength of Science: High

Research Timeline: Post Approval

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Most relevant for: Young women at high risk for breast cancer with limited access to mammography and MRI is not easily accessible

Mammography has been shown to reduce breast cancer deaths; however, women in developing countries don’t have easy access to mammography. Ultrasound screening, on the other hand, is portable and less expensive, and could be an alternative to mammography. This study compared mammography to ultrasound in women with dense breasts and found the two techniques have similar cancer detection rates, although the false positive rate is higher with ultrasound. (02/16/16)

 

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Relevance: Medium

Strength of Science: Medium

Research Timeline: Animal Studies

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Study : Sugar promotes tumor growth and metastasis in mouse model breast cancer

Relevance: Medium

Strength of Science: Medium

Research Timeline: Animal Studies

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Most relevant for: People diagnosed with breast cancer

Previous human studies found associations between high sugar intake and breast cancer risk. This study looked at the direct effect of sugar on breast cancer growth and metastasis in mice. While researchers observed that sugar increased tumor growth and metastasis, more work needs to be done to see if this finding is relevant in humans. It is important to remember, the overall health benefits of limiting sugar intake remain undisputed. (02/02/16)

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Relevance: Medium

Strength of Science: Medium

Research Timeline: Human Research

Relevance: Medium

Strength of Science: Medium

Research Timeline: Human Research

Most relevant for: Breast cancer patients who have an inherited mutation and breast cancer patients who developed leukemia after treatment for breast cancer.

The population of breast cancer survivors in the United States is increasing. One rare but dangerous long-term effect of breast cancer treatment is an increased risk of leukemia, a type of bone marrow cancer. A recent study uncovered a potential genetic basis for this condition. (01/26/2015)

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Relevance: Medium-High

Strength of Science: Medium-High

Research Timeline: Post Approval

Study : Does lumpectomy or mastectomy provide better survival for women with early stage breast cancer?

Relevance: Medium-High

Strength of Science: Medium-High

Research Timeline: Post Approval

Most relevant for: Women with early stage breast cancer

Previous research has hinted that women who have breast-conserving surgeries have the same, if not better, overall survival as women who have mastectomies. Researchers in this study wanted to see if that was true; they found that women who chose breast-conserving surgeries did have a higher overall survival. However, this study, presented at the 2015 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, had limitations that make it difficult to interpret the results or to extend them to all women with breast cancer. (01/19/2016)

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Relevance: Medium

Strength of Science: Medium

Research Timeline: Lab Research

Study : Do parabens in personal care products increase breast cancer risk?

Relevance: Medium

Strength of Science: Medium

Research Timeline: Lab Research

Most relevant for: Women who use personal care products that contain parabens.

Parabens are chemicals that can mimic the hormone estrogen in the body. As estrogen has been shown to increase breast cancer risk, some people have asked if parabens found in some cosmetics and shampoos will also increase breast cancer risk. Many studies have shown that parabens in the quantities found in personal care products are safe. A recent study of human breast cancer cells suggests that in certain conditions, parabens could help some breast cancer cells grow. It is important to remember that this is early research; this single laboratory-based study does not conclusively prove that parabens are dangerous. More work, including human studies, needs to be done to understand if parabens increase cancer risk. (01/16/2016)

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Relevance: Low

Strength of Science: Medium

Research Timeline: Animal Studies

Study : Study uses mice and brains from deceased Alzheimer’s patients to assess BRCA1 involvement

Relevance: Low

Strength of Science: Medium

Research Timeline: Animal Studies

Most relevant for: This research is not relevant to people

Researchers noted reduced levels of BRCA1 protein in the brains of mice and deceased Alzheimer's patients. While this study is interesting early work on the biology of Alzheimer's disease, the focus was primarily Alzheimer's disease, rather than the effect of BRCA1 mutations on Alzheimer's. Therefore, this study's observation may be something that is seen in Alzheimer's patients, but does not necessarily cause the disease. No studies suggest that BRCA1 mutation carriers are at increased risk for Alzheimer's disease. (12/22/2015)

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Relevance: Medium

Strength of Science: Medium-High

Research Timeline: Human Research

Study : How many children with cancer have mutations in genes that increase cancer risk?

Relevance: Medium

Strength of Science: Medium-High

Research Timeline: Human Research

Most relevant for: Survivors of childhood cancer and people with a family history of relatives diagnosed with childhood cancers

Many genes are associated with increased cancer risk in adults, but it is unclear how common these mutations are in children with cancer. This study found that about 9% of children with cancer carry mutations in a gene that is known to increase cancer risk. Over half of the mutations were in the TP53 gene, which is associated with increased cancer risk at a young age and increased risk of breast cancer in adults. (12/15/2015)

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Relevance: Medium-High

Strength of Science: Medium-High

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Study : Effects of cancer diagnosis and treatment during pregnancy on the health and development of the child

Relevance: Medium-High

Strength of Science: Medium-High

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Most relevant for: Women who were diagnosed with breast cancer while pregnant

Very little work has studied how a woman's cancer diagnosis and treatment during pregnancy affects her child. This study of women who were diagnosed with cancer while pregnant looks at their children at ages 18 months and 3 years. The study found no difference in general, cognitive, and cardiac development when compared to children born to healthy mothers. (12/08/2015)

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Relevance: Low

Strength of Science: Medium

Research Timeline: Animal Studies

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Study : Do antioxidants encourage the spread of cancer cells?

Relevance: Low

Strength of Science: Medium

Research Timeline: Animal Studies

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Most relevant for: The clinical relevance of this study for people is not clear

Scientists do not yet know why some cancers spread to other parts of the body (a process called metastasis). A study in mice suggested that high doses of some antioxidants (chemicals that can protect cells from damage) might actually make it easier for cancer cells to spread. (12/01/2015)

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