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Hot flushes, night sweats or painful joints may be good news for women taking hormone-based drugs for breast cancer — it may mean their tumors are less likely to return, researchers said on Thursday.

Women with any of these menopause-like symptoms after taking AstraZeneca’s breast cancer drug Arimidex or generic tamoxifen were 30 percent less likely to have their cancer return over the next nine years, they found.

“The treatment is designed to starve potential cancers of estrogen and these symptoms mean that there are lower levels of estrogen in the body,” said Jack Cuzick, an epidemiologist at Cancer Research UK, who led the study published in the journal Lancet Oncology.

“But it is too early to say whether having these symptoms is essential for the treatment to be effective. At the moment all we can say is that the symptoms indicate the likely success of the treatment.”

Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths among women worldwide, according to the American Cancer Society. The group estimates about 465,000 women died of breast cancer globally in 2007, and 1.3 million new cases were diagnosed.

Declining death rates from breast cancer in developed countries have been attributed to early detection through mammography screening and to improved treatment.

The researchers looked at some 4,000 post-menopausal women treated with either Arimidex, known generically as anastrozole, or the older cancer drug tamoxifen. Arimidex is one of a newer class of drugs called aromatase inhibitors that cannot be taken by women not yet through menopause.

Women who reported hot flushes, night sweats or painful joints within three months of treatment were more likely to remain free of their cancer and these early side effects may also help doctors more effectively target future treatment.

“Our main message is: No pain, no gain,” Ivana Sestak, a Cancer Research UK researcher who worked on the study, said in a telephone interview.

Sestak added the researchers do not know why some women responded differently but believe genetics is the likely explanation because every person metabolizes the drugs that cause a drop in estrogen differently .

By Reuters

Most underarm antiperspirants contain as the active ingredient, Aluminium Chlorohydrate, as you will probably remember there has been controversy about Aluminium, since the 1950’s when it was a popular metal used for making cooking pots, Saucepans and Fry Pans and that it could be one of the contributing factors to Alzheimer’s, now we have another problem that could also be related to Aluminium, Breast Cancer.

Research shows that one of the leading causes of Breast Cancer could be the use of antiperspirants. The human body has a number of areas, that it uses to purge Toxins from the body, these are, behind the knees, behind the ears, the groin area, and the armpits. The toxins are purged from the body in the form of perspiration and antiperspirant as the name clearly suggests prevents you from perspiring, thereby inhibiting the body from purging Toxins from the armpit area.

These Toxins do not just disappear, Instead, the body deposits them in the Lymph Nodes below the arms, since it is unable to sweat them out. A concentration of Toxins then builds up in the areas such as the armpits, which can then lead to cell mutations, which is cancer.

It cannot be ignored, that nearly all Breast Cancer Tumors occur in the upper outer quadrant of the breast area, this is where the Lymph Nodes are located. Men are less likely (but not totally exempt) to develop breast cancer prompted by the use of antiperspirants, because the antiperspirant is more likely to be caught in the armpit hair, rather than directly applied to the skin, but ladies, who shave their armpits, increase the risk by causing imperceptable nicks in the skin, which allow the chemicals to enter easily into the body through the armpits.

This article is aimed mainly at ladies, but please be aware that there are a few antiperspirants on the market that are made from natural products, but basically they would still trap the Toxins in the same areas. The best solution is to use deodorants, rather than antiperspirants, also please remember that the Eight Essential Sugars in Glyconutrients can also help to fight off Toxins. Please view the benefits that Glyconutrients can give you, Check our Web Sites.

Article Source: Health Guidance

cancer in women at high risk for the disease.

New research finds the chemical compound in RU486 prevented tumors from growing in mice that were genetically engineered to carry the BRCA1 breast cancer gene.

RU486, or mifepristone, blocks the production of the hormone progesterone, and this anti-progesterone effect could have prevented the growth of tumors in these mice, the authors speculated. RU486 aborts a pregnancy via the same mechanism.

Still, all this is a far cry from recommending RU486 as breast cancer therapy in people, experts cautioned.

“It’s an interesting observation,” said Dr. Jay Brooks, chairman of hematology/oncology at Ochsner Health System, in Baton Rouge, La. “It’s basically showing that this particular agent can change some of the mammary function, but it’s a real leap to say that it may be useful in cancer prevention.”

The study appears in the Dec. 1 issue of Science.

Genes can greatly influence breast cancer risk. Experts have long known that women with mutations in the BRCA1 gene are at a much higher risk of developing both breast and ovarian cancer. The mutations mainly affect hormone-responsive tissues, although experts have been unclear as to why.

For this study, researchers studied mice that carried the mutated form of BRCA1, causing them to be highly susceptible to breast cancer.

As it turned out, the mice’s mammary epithelial cells accumulated high levels of progesterone receptors and then divided and proliferated at an abnormally rapid rate.

However, Mice treated with RU486 did not develop breast tumors by the time they reached 1 year of age. On the other hand, untreated mice developed tumors by eight months.

Progesterone may encourage the proliferation of mammary cells that carry a breast cancer gene, the researchers said.

Although the study was done in mice, the same mechanism occurs in human cells, said study author Eva Lee, a professor of developmental and cell biology and biological chemistry at the University of California, Irvine.

She speculated that clinicians may one day be able to use progesterone-blocking compounds to prevent breast cancer in women with a genetic predisposition.

But RU486 may not be the best candidate, however.

“It is the most widely available anti-progesterone drug,” Lee said. “We are currently testing a more specific anti-progesterone drug to see whether it has the same effect and if that’s proven, we’ll go to a small clinical trial to see if that anti-progesterone is effective in a high-risk population.”

by: HealthDay .

Getting tested regularly improves your chances for early detection. The screening tests described below can help find cancer early:

• Breast self exam—Can aid in detection of early tumors, particularly those that develop between annual mammograms and clinical breast exams. Monthly self-exams help you become familiar with how your breasts normally look and feel. This can help you recognize changes, such as thickening, lumps, spontaneous nipple discharge, dimpling or puckering.

  Don’t be overly worried if you think you feel a lump. Breast tissue naturally has a lumpy texture, and this lumpiness is more noticeable in some people than in others. If you feel the lumpiness throughout your breast, it is probably just the normal breast tissue and not something to be concerned about. If you discover a new lump that feels different from the rest of your breast—one that is firmer or different from what you have felt before—you should have it checked by your doctor.

• Clinical breast exam—Physical examinations done by physicians, nurse practitioners and other trained medical staff, who check the appearance and feel of the breasts and underarm for changes. The American Cancer Society recommends that women in their 20s and 30s should have a clinical breast exam as part of a routine health exam at least once every three years. Women over the age of 40 should have a yearly clinical breast exam.
• Mammogram—Uses x-rays to create an image of the breast, and may detect tumors that can’t be felt. A mammogram is generally considered to be the best screening method available. It can detect a tumor in an early stage, when it can be most effectively treated. Yearly mammograms are recommended for women 40 years and older.
• Ultrasound—Uses high-frequency sound waves to produce images on a viewing screen. Ultrasound is the best way to find out if an abnormality discovered through physical exam or mammography is solid (a benign fibroadenoma) or fluid-filled (a benign cyst). An ultrasound does not indicate whether a solid lump is cancerous.

Dartmouth researchers Wendy Wells and William Kinlaw are looking into a protein called S14. (Photo by Joseph Mehling ‘69)

William Kinlaw, an associate professor of medicine at Dartmouth Medical School, has been working on a protein called S14 since 1990. Over the past few months, however, the news about S14 has picked up. Through a series of recently published academic studies, Kinlaw and colleagues are ready to pronounce S14 a potential drug target in treating breast cancer.

“Over the past three years, we’ve learned about S14 and its role in communicating information about the nutrient and energy supply to genes mandatory for fat metabolism in breast cancer cells,” says Kinlaw, who is also affiliated with the Norris Cotton Cancer Center at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. “With this knowledge has also come the understanding that most breast cancers have found a mechanism to turn on the S14 gene”.

He explains that these tumors are ‘addicted’ to S14, because it is mandatory for the activation of a group of genes that allow the cancer cells to make fat. Kinlaw and his team have observed that breast cancer cells die if S14 is removed, and their analysis of human breast tumors indicates that S14 is critical for metastasis.

“This makes sense, as fat is a crucial fuel for breast cancers,” he says. “We believe this is particularly so during a tumor cell’s attempt to journey from the breast to other parts of the body, because the normal breast tissue supplies machinery that allows tumor cells to acquire fat from the bloodstream. Our data support the hypothesis that once the cells leave this metabolically friendly breast environment, the ability to manufacture their own fat becomes a make-or-break issue”.

These findings are supported by three recently published articles. First, a few months ago, Kinlaw and his team published a study in the February 1, 2006, issue of Experimental Cell Research that further explored S14’s relationship in driving fat metabolism in breast cancer cells. The scientists discovered that if you inactivate this protein, the cancer cells die. Because of this, Kinlaw explains, S14 may be a new anticancer target for breast cancer patients.

Second, in the July 2006 issue of Breast Cancer Research and Treatment, Kinlaw and fellow Dartmouth scientists Bernard Cole, Peter Morganelli, Gary Schwartz, and Wendy Wells published a study that connected the amount of S14 present in a given clinical breast cancer case to the prediction, with surprising accuracy, of which tumors would recur on long-term follow up. The scientists used a special new antibody made at Norris Cotton Cancer Center in their predictions. Kinlaw says that this study revealed the potential of S14 as a new marker for prognosis in breast cancer, and experiments are now underway to validate this result. Kinlaw has also tapped into the expertise at Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business, where students formulated this idea as a model business plan for a class project for Gregg Fairbrothers, adjunct professor of business administration and the director of the Dartmouth Entrepreneurial Network.

And finally, the journal Endocrinology invited Kinlaw and his colleagues to review the topic of fat metabolism in breast cancer cells. In the review, which was available online on June 29, the scientists present a new theory of breast cancer metastasis and its relationship to fat metabolism and diet that focuses on S14.

“We’re now working to examine this idea rigorously in cancer-prone mice engineered to lack S14 in the mammary gland, and to find areas on the S14 protein that might be suitable for attack with a drug,” says Kinlaw.

Breast cancer occurs when cells in the breast begin to grow out of control enabling them to invade nearby tissues or spread throughout the body. Collections of these out of control tissues are called tumors. However, not all breast tumors are considered cancerous since certain types of large cells just cannot be spread or threaten a person’s life and this kind of tumor is called benign tumor. On the other hand, the tumors that can spread all throughout the body or invade nearby tissues are considered cancerous cells and are malignant. Cancer cells usually comes from either ducts or glands in the breast that is why it may take months or even years for a tumor to be notice in the breast. Breast tumors are screened with the use of mammograms that are rather accurate in screening tumor or cancer cells.Women are much prone to develop breast cancer that men. Only 1% to 2% of men have been known to have cases of breast cancer. The early onset of menstruation in women at the age of 12 increases the risk for a breast cancer on the other hand an early menopausal period may reduce the risk of breast cancer. The risk for women to have breast cancer increases with age in fact a study shows that women over 50 are more likely to develop breast cancer. Nevertheless, the incidence of breast cancer among younger women is also increasing in an alarming rate that is why more women of ages 20s to 30s have subjected themselves to be diagnosed.Breast cancer is not only acquired but also can be inherited. For women who have genetic mutation such as BRCA1 or BRCA2 has an 80% risk of developing breast cancer. Women who have first-degree relative diagnosed to have breast cancer increase their risk of also acquiring breast cancer. Moreover, women with first-degree relative that are diagnosed to have breast cancer before menopause increase the risk for them in acquiring breast cancer.Some factors contribute to the occurrence of breast cancer and these are as follows: smoking, alcohol and radiation exposure. Women who are smoking will increase their chances to have breast cancer. Aside from that, high intakes of alcohol have been found to be a source of breast cancer. Radiation exposure is another factor that contributes to breast cancer. Studies have shown that women as well as children who have undergone high-dose radiation therapy have a much higher chance of having breast cancer.