Palbociclib Appears to Prolong Progression Free Survival in Women with Metastatic Breast Cancer

As for 10 months of PFS, that’s valuable. Imagine that you’re 55 years old and living with metastatic breast cancer. A drug that is likely to delay, by most of 2 years, your tumor’s expansion into the lungs …A concern I have is that this study wasn’t blinded,

Posted in Breast Cancer, cancer survival, cancer treatment, Medical News, Oncology (cancer), PharmacologyTagged , , , , , , , , , 2 Comments on Palbociclib Appears to Prolong Progression Free Survival in Women with Metastatic Breast Cancer

JAMA Review on Mammography Points to the Need for Better Ways to Advise Women and Detect Breast Cancer

This new JAMA article reviews the literature. At a glance, it may add to the growing perception among journalists, primary care physicians and others – including ordinary women – that mammography’s effectiveness has been, again, disproved.

Posted in Breast Cancer, cancer screening, journalism, Oncology (cancer), Public Health, Women's HealthTagged , , , , , , , 3 Comments on JAMA Review on Mammography Points to the Need for Better Ways to Advise Women and Detect Breast Cancer

Shirley Temple Made It Easier to Talk About Having Breast Cancer

What I choose to remember about Shirley Temple is that she lived for 41 years after having a mastectomy for breast cancer. In 1972 she spoke openly about her medical condition, and encouraged other women to seek medical care if they noticed a lump, and not to be afraid of the disease. She made it easier for us, today, to talk about breast cancer treatment and options.

Posted in Breast Cancer, cancer awareness, Communication, Public Illness, Women's HealthTagged , , , , , , , , Leave a Comment on Shirley Temple Made It Easier to Talk About Having Breast Cancer

More on Mammography, Breast Cancer, Misleading Arguments, Emotion and Women’s Health

While therapy has improved quite a bit since 1985, the greatest benefit derives from most women avoiding the need for life-long treatment by having small tumors found and removed before they’ve spread.

Posted in Breast Cancer, cancer screening, clinical trials, Communication, Medical News, Oncology (cancer), Women's HealthTagged , , , , , , , , Leave a Comment on More on Mammography, Breast Cancer, Misleading Arguments, Emotion and Women’s Health

Birth of the Metastatic Breast Cancer Alliance

The new Metastatic Breast Cancer Alliance includes a spectrum of agencies, young and old, working together. The goal is to promote knowledge and research about breast cancer metastases – to develop more effective, less toxic treatments, and to improve the lives of people living with Stage 4 disease.

Posted in Breast Cancer, cancer awareness, cancer survival, Oncology (cancer), Women's HealthTagged , , , , , Leave a Comment on Birth of the Metastatic Breast Cancer Alliance

Good News from SCOTUS on Gene Patents, But Questions Remain

What goes unaddressed by the justices is the patentability of cDNA based on common genetic variants in cancer. Those are “naturally occurring” mutations, inasmuch as they arise in humans….And the Supremes need to know about biology.

Posted in Genetics, Medical News, Oncology (cancer), ScienceTagged , , , , , , , , Leave a Comment on Good News from SCOTUS on Gene Patents, But Questions Remain

On Friends Affected by Cancer, and Environment Oncology

If I could pick a field for future investigation that might lead to insight on cancer’s causes and, ultimately, reduce the cancer burden 30 and 50 years from now, I might choose the tiny, under-funded area of environmental oncology

Posted in Blogs, cancer causes, Environmental Health, journalism, Life, Life as a Patient, Life as a writer, Oncology (cancer)Tagged , , , , , , , 1 Comment on On Friends Affected by Cancer, and Environment Oncology

Questions for ASCO – on Tamoxifen, ATLAS and aTTom

The problem with Tamoxifen is that it has anti-estrogen effects that many young (and older) women consider undesirable. Already our breasts have been cut. Feeling “feminine” is not trivial.

Posted in Breast Cancer, cancer treatment, clinical trials, Medical News, Oncology (cancer), Women's HealthTagged , , , , , , , , 3 Comments on Questions for ASCO – on Tamoxifen, ATLAS and aTTom
newsletter software