Shopping For Pink: Does Your October Purchase Really Make A Difference?
CHICAGO — As stores fill with pink products to benefit the breast cancer cause, Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization(TM) is providing tips to shoppers so they can make meaningful consumer choices to ensure that their money really makes a difference. “There are a few steps consumers can take to become informed about ‘pink’ promotions so they know how a contribution will truly help those affected by breast cancer,” says Margaret C. Kirk, CEO of Y-ME(R): 1. Know where your money is going! If a label only says “a portion of sales goes to support breast cancer” you may want to be wary. “A portion” could be $5 or less than $ .01. Look for labels that disclose how much of the purchase price i…
Strawberry Consumption Associated With C-Reactive Protein Among Women
WATSONVILLE — Strawberries are not only delicious and nutrient-rich, new research from Harvard Medical School found that they may offer cardiovascular disease protection. The new study found that those who reported eating the most strawberries experienced lower blood levels of C-reactive protein, a biomarker for inflammation in the blood vessels. Howard Sesso, ScD and colleagues at the Harvard School of Public Health reported their findings in the August issue of the Journal of the American College of Nutrition. Using dietary intake records of approximately 27,000 of the women who participated in the decade-long Women’s Health Study, Sesso looked at levels of strawberry consumption and several risk factors for cardiovasc…
Study Determines Breast-Specific Gamma Imaging Has Higher Specificity Than MRI In Patients With Equivocal Mammograms
NEWPORT NEWS, Va., — Recently published study results in The Breast Journal indicate that Breast-Specific Gamma Imaging (BSGI) may be more specific than MRI for evaluating patients with equivocal mammographic findings. The study, compiled by Dr. Rachel Brem and colleagues at The George Washington University Medical Center, compared the use of BSGI and MRI for women with an indeterminate mammogram. Standard procedure requires women with an indeterminate mammogram to have additional clinical work-ups. According to Dr. Brem, Breast Specific Gamma Imaging (BSGI) — nuclear medicine imaging of the breast — is a physiologic approach to breast imaging. BSGI uses a high-resolution gamma camera and Tc-Sestamibi. Previous patient…
Stress At Work Can Increase Breast Cancer Risk By A Third
Women who feel stressed at work could be at a dramatically increased risk of developing breast cancer, a study suggests. It found women in demanding jobs are 30 percent more likely to develop the disease than those who feel on top of their work. The results of the study, which involved 36,000 women, appear to contradict previous research which has not found a link between stress and breast cancer. More than 44,000 women are diagnosed with the disease every year and 12,000 die. Although survival rates are improving, the number of women who develop breast cancer has also been growing for decades. The increase has been blamed on a host of lifestyle and environmental factors, including rising obesity, increased alco…
Tobacco Smoke Doubles Risk Of Breast Cancer
EDMONTON — Smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke share similar risks Breast Cancer Awareness Month kicked off today with some alarming evidence indicating that smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke can nearly double the risk of developing premenopausal breast cancer. “There are an increasing number of studies that point to greater breast cancer risks for both smokers and women who never smoked, but who had regular long-term exposure to secondhand smoke,” said Dr. Kenneth C. Johnson, a senior epidemiologist and research scientist for the Public Health Agency of Canada. “A 2005 report by the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA) concluded that passive smoking causes pre-menopausal breast cancer.”…