Trial suggests HRT increases breast cancer recurrence risk

Long-term follow-up data from a randomized clinical trial indicate that, in women previously treated for breast cancer, use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) significantly increases the risk of recurrence or contralateral breast cancer - a new cancer in the opposite breast. Published online March 25 by the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (JNCI), the analysis shows a 2.4-fold increased risk of recurrence or contralateral breast cancer in women randomized to receive HRT to treat menopausal symptoms compared with women given the best, nonhormonal treatments for such symptoms. more  

Vaccine treats breast tumors in mice

A new therapeutic vaccine designed to stimulate the body's immune system so that it recognizes cancer as an invader shows promise in eradicating some advanced breast cancer tumors in mice. The study results appeared March 15 in Cancer Research. more

Guidelines for colonoscopy follow-up assessed

The size and number of polyps removed during colonoscopy may be of limited use in predicting a recurrence that leads to cancer, new research suggests. The findings, in the March 18 Annals of Internal Medicine, raise questions about the current guidelines on follow-up colonoscopies, which define a schedule for surveillance exams based on detected polyps, or adenomas. more  

Lung cancer test aims to improve early detection

When an imaging test shows a suspicious mass in the lungs of a smoker, the next step is a bronchoscopy. A thin tube with a camera is passed into the person's airway to look for abnormalities and collect tissue for biopsy. But in many cases the results do not reveal whether the person has cancer. more

Flat and depressed colorectal growths may change screening  

Unlike most cancers, colorectal cancer is considered preventable in many cases: prevailing opinion states that many malignancies found in the colon or rectum began years earlier as adenomas - noncancerous tumors that form in the linings, or mucosa, of these organs. Early detection and removal of these adenomas is the basis of screening for colorectal neoplasms. more

Managing bone metastases: Can radiopharmaceuticals help? 

When cancer spreads to bone during the advanced stages of disease, the results can be devastating. Some patients experience severe pain and face an increased risk of fractures and other skeletal-related complications. These often require additional treatments and may further diminish a patient's quality of life and compromise survival. more

Workshop of note: Free telephone workshop series for cancer survivors

The sixth annual telephone workshop series, "Living With, Through, and Beyond Cancer," begins April 22. This series offers cancer survivors, their families, friends, and health care professionals practical information to help them cope with concerns and issues that arise after treatment ends. more

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