Breast cancer screening: New emphasis on shared decision-making between women and their doctors

An updated guideline on screening for breast cancer emphasizes shared decision-making between women and their doctors, supporting women to make an informed decision based on personal preferences when the balance between benefits and harms is uncertain. The guideline, released by the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care, is published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal). Based on the latest […]

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Breast cancer’s deadliness is influenced by genes

An international team of scientists have confirmed that both rare and common mutations of our genes are linked to the development of breast cancer, including tumour characteristics and corresponding deadliness. Interestingly, they discovered that the rare mutations were linked to more aggressive tumours, while the common mutations were associated with less aggressive tumour characteristics. The study was led by Dr. […]

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Innovations in ultrasound imaging improve breast cancer detection

A new ultrasound technique can help distinguish benign breast tumours from malignant ones. The technology was developed with support from the Swiss National Science Foundation. Ultrasound is one of the three main technologies used in medical imaging. It is more compact and affordable than nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques, and safer than x-rays. But the images it produces are […]

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Team identifies genes that increase risk for triple-negative breast cancer

A research team led by Fergus Couch, Ph.D., a geneticist at Mayo Clinic, has identified specific genes associated with an increased risk for developing triple-negative breast cancer. Their research was published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. “Triple-negative breast cancer is an aggressive type of cancer that cannot be treated using targeted therapies,” says Dr. Couch. “It accounts […]

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Breast tissue tumor suppressor PTEN: A potential Achilles heel for breast cancer cells

In an article published July 17, 2018 by Nature Communications, a highly collaborative team of researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) and Ohio State University report that normal breast cells can prevent successful radiation treatment of breast cancer due to dysregulation between tumor suppressors and oncogenes. Tumor suppressors act like brakes that stop cells from undergoing uncontrolled […]

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Study results may lead to improved diagnostics for breast cancer

A study in Molecular Oncology indicates that examining the protein and RNA in leftover materials from routine diagnostic tests for breast cancer may lead to more accurate diagnoses. Using samples from fine needle aspiration from 25 patients with breast cancer and 33 patients with benign lesions, investigators found that such a strategy could distinguish all cancer patient samples from all […]

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Breast cancer could be prevented by targeting epigenetic proteins, study suggests

Researchers at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in Toronto have discovered that epigenetic proteins promote the proliferation of mammary gland stem cells in response to the sex hormone progesterone. The study, which will be published June 19 in the Journal of Cell Biology, suggests that inhibiting these proteins with drugs could prevent the development of breast cancer in women at […]

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