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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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Hereditary Cancer Risk

111 through 120 of 135

Relevance: Medium-High

Strength of Science: Medium

Research Timeline: Human Research

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)

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Relevance: High

Strength of Science: Medium-High

Research Timeline: Post Approval

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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)

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Relevance: Medium-High

Strength of Science: Medium-High

Research Timeline: Post Approval

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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)

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Relevance: Medium

Strength of Science: Medium-Low

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Study : Angelina Jolie spoke out on BRCA testing: Did genetic testing increase?

Relevance: Medium

Strength of Science: Medium-Low

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Most relevant for: People interested in genetic testing for an inherited mutation

Angelina Jolie published an editorial in the New York Times in 2013 about her choice to have a double mastectomy after finding out she was positive for a BRCA1 mutation. Researchers from a recent study claim that her celebrity endorsement of BRCA testing may have missed its target audience (previvors), due to the increase in BRCA testing following publication of the editorial but a decrease in the number of mastectomies performed. However, the study failed to take into account that many women without breast cancer do not pursue mastectomy in the months following genetic testing. (1/4/17)

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Relevance: Medium-High

Quality of Writing: Medium-High

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Article : After mastectomy: reconstruct or not?

Relevance: Medium-High

Quality of Writing: Medium-High

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Most relevant for: Woman who are facing mastectomy

Today, more women know they can have breast reconstruction after removing their breasts for cancer treatment or risk reduction. But what about choosing not to undergo reconstruction? Roni Caryn Rabin writes about the experiences of women who decide against reconstruction in her New York Times piece “‘Going Flat’ After Breast Cancer.” (12/14/16)

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Relevance: Medium-High

Quality of Writing: Medium

Personal Story : Men get breast cancer too

Relevance: Medium-High

Quality of Writing: Medium

Most relevant for: Men diagnosed with breast cancer

Cathy Free's piece for People, “Men Have Breasts Too: New York Man Who Survived Stage 2 Breast Cancer Spreads Message,” tells the stories of two men whose experiences with breast cancer inspired them to speak openly about breast cancer awareness for men. (11/29/16)

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Relevance: Medium

Quality of Writing: Medium-Low

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Personal Story : Why one woman passed on genetic testing

Relevance: Medium

Quality of Writing: Medium-Low

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Most relevant for: People considering genetic testing and people who are Ashkenazi Jewish

What are reasons to get or not get genetic testing? Cynthia Graber gives her thoughts on the matter in her Wired opinion piece, "Why I Won't Get the Genetic Test for Breast Cancer." (11/15/16)

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Relevance: Medium

Strength of Science: Medium-High

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Study : Removing ovaries before age 50 may increase the risk of chronic conditions for some women

Relevance: Medium

Strength of Science: Medium-High

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Most relevant for: Women under 50 years of age who have had or are considering removing their ovaries

Removal of ovaries and fallopian tubes prevents ovarian cancer, but it may come with other health risks. Experts recommend removal of ovaries and fallopian tubes in women at high risk for ovarian cancer due to inherited mutations in BRCA or other genes linked to ovarian cancer risk. For these high-risk women the benefit of ovarian cancer prevention outweighs the risk of long-term complications. Based on a recent study, some researchers feel that for women who are not at increased risk for cancer, the risk for some chronic conditions is too high to consider removal of both ovaries. (11/1/16)

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Relevance: Medium

Strength of Science: Medium

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Study : Breast cancer screening should be tailored to a woman’s risk factors and breast density

Relevance: Medium

Strength of Science: Medium

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Most relevant for: Women who are at high risk for breast cancer due to family history, dense breasts, LCIS, or multiple biopsies

The United States Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends a screening mammogram every other year for women ages 50-74 who are at average risk for breast cancer. But do all patients in this category benefit from this screening regimen? 10/18/16

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Relevance: Medium-High

Strength of Science: Medium

Research Timeline: Post Approval

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Study : Rare mutations in PALB2, CHEK2, and ATM: how much do they increase cancer risk?

Relevance: Medium-High

Strength of Science: Medium

Research Timeline: Post Approval

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Most relevant for: People who tested positive for one of the rare variants in CHEK2, ATM or PALB2 that are covered in this study

As multi-gene panel tests become more common, people are discovering they have mutations in genes that are not understood as well as BRCA. This can make it difficult to give patients accurate assessments of their cancer risk. For example, mutations in PALB2, CHEK2, and ATM are rare, but some specific changes in these genes are even less common. The goal of this international collaboration was to better understand the cancer risks of some very rare PALB2, CHEK2, and ATM mutations. The findings are relevant only to the specific mutations covered in this paper and do not apply to all people with mutations in PALB2, CHEK2, or ATM. (9/27/16)

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