Breast Cancer

As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to make headlines, a new Sweden-based study looked at the ways AI can benefit long-term health. 

The study focused on mammogram screenings and readings to determine whether or not women had breast cancer. Experts utilized AI to support the screenings and read the results of the tests, and compared their accuracy with a standard radiologist’s screening. 

Ultimately, the combination of AI and experienced radiologists led to 20% more cancer diagnoses compared to cases looked at solely by radiologists. This is an encouraging result, as early detection of the disease is likely to lead to better health outcomes for patients. 

Detecting disease

The researchers had over 80,000 women between the ages of 40 and 80 who were eligible for mammograms participate in the study. Half of the women received their screening and had the report read by two experienced radiologists, while the other half received their screening and had the results read by a combination of AI and experienced radiologists. 

The combination of the technology and the radiologists proved to be effective at detecting more cases of cancer than just the radiologists alone. In the AI group, 244 cases of cancer were identified, and 861 women were called back for further testing.

In the radiologist-only group, 203 cases of cancer were identified, and 817 women were called back for further testing. 

The overall cancer detection rate was 6.1 per 1,000 women in the AI group, compared with 5.1 per 1,000 women in the radiologist-only group. 

How does it work?

Experts from BreastCancer.org explained that doctors basically teach AI what a normal mammogram looks like versus what a cancerous mammogram looks like by inputting millions of images of different scans. 

Then, once a new image is uploaded into the system, an algorithm determines whether the patient has a clear scan, needs further testing, or has cancer. Typically, two radiologists read the scans to determine the outcome, and this technology can help detect more details in mammography scans. 

Will AI be at your next doctor’s appointment?

Though these findings are promising, the study remains ongoing and experts believe that more work needs to be done to fine-tune this technology. However, these results are a good starting point for more in-depth research in this area that can benefit consumers’ health. 

“These promising interim safety results should be used to inform new trials and program-based evaluations to address the pronounced radiologist shortage in many countries,” lead researcher Dr. Kristina Lång said in a statement. “But they are not enough on their own to confirm that AI is ready to be implemented in mammography screening.

Lang said health researchers still need to understand the implications on patients’ outcomes, especially whether combining radiologists’ expertise with AI can help detect interval cancers that are often missed by traditional screening, as well as the cost-effectiveness of the technology. 

“The greatest potential of AI right now is that it could allow our radiologists to be less burdened by the excessive amount of reading," Lang said. "While our AI-supported screening system requires at least one radiologist in charge of detection, it could potentially do away with the need for double reading of the majority of mammograms, easing the pressure on workloads and enabling radiologists to focus more on advanced diagnostics while shortening the waiting time for patients.” 

A new study recently published in the Journal of Oncology explored how different treatments can benefit breast cancer patients. The findings show that utilizing integrative lifestyle therapies – which include things like exercise, nutrition counseling, yoga, and spiritual services – may improve breast cancer survival rates. 

“Access to basic integrative health care services in cancer care not only supports a higher quality of life, but this study also shows that these services increase a patient’s chance of survival,” said researcher Dr. Wayne Jonas. “These findings serve as a call to action for hospitals and oncologists to support a whole-person approach to cancer care.” 

Comprehensive treatments lead to better results

For the study, the researchers analyzed data from nearly 5,000 people who had been recently diagnosed with breast cancer between 2013 and 2014. The team evaluated survey responses from over 100 oncologists about what kinds of treatments they provided their breast cancer patients, including alternative therapies. 

The study focused on a dozen different holistic offerings, including massage therapy, Reiki, spiritual services, nutrition, acupuncture, patient support groups, music therapy, art therapy, psycho-oncology support, exercise, meditation, tai chi, and yoga. The researchers learned that these integrative therapies were associated with better survival outcomes for breast cancer patients. 

Ultimately, patients had better survival rates when hospitals offered more integrative therapies. The study showed that offering patients even a moderate number of these treatments can make survival up to three times more likely over five years. 

Based on these findings, the researchers hope more health care facilities adopt these integrative treatments for breast cancer patients. Having these therapies available onsite can be a helpful way to create more thorough treatment plans.

“Patients can play an active role in their cancer treatment and outcomes – but they are much more likely to do it with approval and help from their health system,” said researcher Terri Crudup. “Oncologists and institutions that treat these patients need to consider providing education, support, and funding for these complementary and lifestyle therapies.” 

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of Virginia Cancer Center has found a way to potentially slow the spread of breast cancer. 

Some of the most serious cases of breast cancer are those that become metastatic, which means that cancerous cells have traveled to other parts of the body. In this study, the researchers identified the gene responsible for metastatic breast cancer -- TRIM37 -- and learned that it could make tumors resistant to traditional treatments like chemotherapy. 

“Despite metastasis being the key reason for failure of cancer therapies, it remains poorly understood,” said researcher Sanchita Bhatnagar, PhD. “We do not clearly understand what drives the metastatic growth in patients. In general, several genes are altered during tumorigenesis. However, whether targeting the same genes will prevent metastatic transition remains to be addressed.” 

Preventing cancer cells from spreading

The majority of breast cancer patients are typically treated using a combination of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. However, once a tumor becomes metastatic, these treatments are unsuccessful. 

Dr. Bhatnagar and her team set out to discover how they could specifically target the TRIM37 gene and ultimately give patients a viable treatment option. She conducted her study on mice and used a combination of nanoparticles and antibodies that were designed to block the cancerous cells and allow healthy cells to flourish. 

“It’s a kiss of death that selectively reduces the expression of TRIM37 in cancer cells and prevents the spread,” said Dr. Bhatnagar. 

The researchers decided to target the mice’s lungs with the nanoparticle treatment, as it is the site of the majority of metastatic tumors for breast cancer patients. The treatment was delivered nasally, and the researchers monitored the mice’s lungs to see how effective this intervention was at slowing the spread of cancerous cells. Ultimately, the researchers observed significant improvements in the mice that were given the nanoparticle treatment. 

“The lungs showed dramatic reduction in metastatic lesions after the treatment in comparison to the mice that received no treatment,” Dr. Bhatnagar said. 

Very effective option

While the researchers plan to continue developing this work, they predict that targeting the TRIM37 gene in this way could be an effective treatment option for nearly 80 percent of those with triple negative breast cancer. They also noted that this could be an effective way to treat other types of cancer. 

“This is a delivery platform, not only for targeting our protein of interest, but for many other chemotherapeutic drugs that can be packaged into the nanoparticles and selectively delivered,” said Dr. Bhatnagar. 

Health experts constantly stress the importance of consumers getting enough fiber in their diet, and now a recent study is lending additional weight to that advice.

Researchers from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health recently compiled data from 20 separate observational studies with the goal of seeing how fiber affected the risk of breast cancer. They found that the dietary staple lowered the chance of developing the disease by 8 percent.

The team found that soluble fibers -- which can be found in oat bran seeds, beans, lentils, and some fruits and vegetables -- lowered the overall risk of breast cancer. Higher total fiber intake (both soluble and insoluble) lowered risk in both premenopausal and postmenopausal women.

"Our study contributes to the evidence that lifestyle factors, such as modifiable dietary practices, may affect breast cancer risk," said Dr. Farvid. 

"Our findings provide research evidence supporting the American Cancer Society dietary guidelines, emphasizing the importance of a diet rich in fiber, including fruits, vegetables, and whole grains."

Earlier detection

While optimizing your diet can help reduce the risk of breast cancer, researchers have also been hard at work trying to find ways to catch the disease at its earliest stages when it is most treatable. One research team from the National Cancer Research Institute recently announced that they were in the process of developing a blood test that could do just that. 

The researchers said that initial trials of their blood test were successful because it allowed them to differentiate between participants who had breast cancer and those who didn’t. They hope that continuing to work on the method will eventually give medical professionals another tool to fight disease.

“These results are encouraging and indicate that it’s possible to detect a signal for early breast cancer. Once we have improved the accuracy of the test, then it opens the possibility of using a simple blood test to improve early detection of the disease,” said researcher Daniyah Alfattani.

While recent studies have focused on breast cancer risk factors like diet and weight loss, a new study found that popular hair treatments could also pose a threat to consumers. 

Researchers from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) discovered that permanent hair dye and straighteners could increase consumers’ risk of developing breast cancer. 

“Researchers have been studying the possible link between hair dye and cancer for a long time, but results have been inconsistent,” said researcher Alexandra White, PhD. “In our study, we see a higher breast cancer risk associated with hair dye use, and the effect is stronger in African American women, particularly those who are frequent users.” 

Identifying the risk factor

To understand the risks associated with hair treatments, the researchers analyzed over 46,000 responses to the NIEHS’ Sister Study. The sample was unique in that the women who took the survey were cancer-free, but they had sisters who had been diagnosed with breast cancer. 

Participants reported on how often they dyed their hair, the frequency with which they have their hair permanently dyed, and other questions that assessed the hair products they used and treatments they received. 

The survey revealed that the more frequently women used permanent hair dye or received permanent straightening treatments, the more likely they were to develop breast cancer. 

As Dr. White explained, the risk for breast cancer was stronger for black women when it came to using hair dye products. Using permanent hair dye every eight weeks was associated with an eight percent increased risk of the disease for white women but a 60 percent increased risk for women of color. 

This demographic difference didn’t extend to permanent straightening treatments, as all of the women involved in the study were approximately 30 percent more likely to develop breast cancer when they received such treatments every eight weeks. 

While the study also revealed that temporary or semi-permanent dyes didn’t pose as great a risk for breast cancer, the researchers don’t want to be prescriptive when it comes to avoiding certain hair care options. However, they do want consumers to be aware of the potential risks associated with such treatments. 

“We are exposed to many things that could potentially contribute to breast cancer, and it is unlikely that any single factor explains a woman’s risk,” said researcher Dale Sandler, PhD. “While it is too early to make a firm recommendation, avoiding these chemicals might be one more thing women can do to reduce their risk of breast cancer.”  

A new study conducted by researchers at the National Cancer Research Institute found that a routine blood test could detect breast cancer in patients up to five years before any signs or symptoms pop up. 

The researchers explained that the blood tests could determine if a patient has tumor-associated antigens (TAAs), which are commonly associated with different strands of cancer or other diseases. By implementing this testing method, doctors would be able to detect and treat the disease much earlier. 

“The results of our study showed that breast cancer does induce autoantibodies against panels of specific tumor-associated antigens,” said researcher Daniyah Alfattani. “We were able to detect cancer with reasonable accuracy by identifying these autoantibodies in the blood.” 

The benefits of early detection

To determine how effective a blood test would be at catching breast cancer in its earliest stages, the researchers compared blood test results of 90 breast cancer patients when they first received their diagnosis with 90 study participants who had not been diagnosed with the disease. 

The blood test was effective in differentiating between the participants who had breast cancer and those who didn’t. The researchers found that their diagnoses were the most accurate when more TAAs were incorporated into the tests. 

While a test that included five TAAs accurately detected breast cancer 29 percent of the time, increasing that figure to nine TAAs led to nearly 40 percent accuracy in detecting breast cancer. Using those same TAAs, the tests were accurate in identifying patients without cancer 84 percent and 79 percent of the time, respectively. 

Simple and valuable tests

These results were encouraging for countless reasons, chief among them being that blood tests are a simple medical procedure; they would be easy to administer for medical professionals and easy to endure for patients. However, the researchers also identified more practical reasons this testing method would be valuable. 

“A blood test for early breast cancer detection would be cost effective, which could be of particular value in low and middle income countries,” said Alfattani. “It would also be an easier screening method to implement compared to current methods, such as mammography.” 

As more work is done to improve how cancer is detected in patients, the researchers hope their work will help healthcare professionals see the benefit in adopting this testing method after some fine tuning. 

“We need to develop and further validate this test,” said Alfattani. “However, these results are encouraging and indicate that it’s possible to detect a signal for early breast cancer. Once we have improved the accuracy of the test, then it opens the possibility of using a simple blood test to improve early detection of the disease.” 

Researchers from the University of Buffalo have found that women who regularly consume onions and garlic could be reducing their risk of developing breast cancer.

In a population-based study in Puerto Rico, the team looked at consumption of the two foods and found that eating them on a daily basis led to a significant reduction in breast cancer risk.

“We found that among Puerto Rican women, the combined intake of onion and garlic, as well as sofrito, was associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer,” said researcher Gauri Desai. 

How the ingredients help

The women involved in the study were between the ages of 30 and 79, and 346 women without breast cancer were compared with 314 women who had been diagnosed with the disease. 

All of the participants completed food frequency questionnaires so the researchers could determine how often they were consuming onions, garlic, or sofrito -- a popular condiment in Puerto Rico with an onion and garlic base. 

The study revealed that consuming onions and garlic regularly was effective in reducing the women’s likelihood of developing breast cancer. When compared with those who never ate garlic or onions, those who incorporated the ingredients into their daily lives were nearly 70 percent less likely to develop breast cancer. 

According to Desai, the ingredients contain “flavonols and organosulfur compounds,” both of which have properties that are known to reduce cancer risk. The compounds have also been shown to prevent cardiovascular disease and diabetes.. 

Diet plays a role

Earlier this summer, researchers found that eating less red meat could also be effective for women to reduce their risk of developing breast cancer. 

While red meat in any capacity has been found to be bad for consumers’ overall health, opting for poultry instead of red meat can be beneficial in reducing the risk of breast cancer. 

“Red meat has been identified as a probable carcinogen,” said researcher Dale P. Sandler, PhD. “Our study adds further evidence that red meat consumption may be associated with increased risk of breast cancer, whereas poultry was associated with decreased risk.” 

Pregnancy comes with several health risks, both for mothers and their babies. Though nine months of pregnancy come with countless doctor’s appointments and a keen sense of attention to women’s bodies and overall health, research has shown why that shouldn’t stop after the baby is born.

A new study conducted by researchers from the University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health found that women could be at risk for developing breast cancer for up to 20 years after childbirth.

“What we saw was this pattern where risk was highest about five years after birth, and then it gradually declined as time went on,” lead researcher Dr. Hazel Nichols told CNN.

Women at risk

The researchers collected data from 15 cohort studies to explore the likelihood of women developing breast cancer post-childbirth. All of the women involved in the study were under the age of 55, and those who had given birth were compared with those of the same age who had not.

For the women who had experienced childbirth, their risk for developing breast cancer was higher than for those who hadn’t. The researchers found that the risk could last for up to 24 years post-birth, but it was at its highest level five years following childbirth.

The risk of developing breast cancer was highest for women who had the disease in their family lines, in addition to women who had children later in life. However, a mother’s decision to breastfeed didn’t affect their risk of developing breast cancer.

The researchers are hopeful that the findings from this study will urge healthcare providers to make the most informed choices for their patients and promote preventive breast cancer measures.

Other breast cancer risks

With nearly one in eight women in the United States at risk of developing invasive breast cancer, it’s important that consumers know some preventive measures associated with the disease.

Last year, researchers found that women that took just 81mg of aspirin on a regular basis were less likely to develop breast cancer. However, that wasn’t the case for women that took a different painkiller or a higher dosage.

The researchers explain that aspirin can work as an aromatase inhibitor, which reduces the amount of estrogen in the blood and can therefore help to reduce the risk of breast cancer.

“We did not by and large find associations with the other pain medications like ibuprofen and acetaminophen,” said Dr. Christina A. Clarke. “We also did not find associations with regular aspirin since this type of medication is taken sporadically for headaches or other pain, and not daily for prevention of cardiovascular disease.”

Researchers also found that for postmenopausal women, losing weight was effective in reducing the risk of breast cancer.

While gaining weight wasn’t found to be a direct link to breast cancer, the study participants that gained weight were over 50 percent more likely to develop triple negative breast cancer -- a strain of the illness that doesn’t respond to traditional hormonal therapy. Conversely, those who lost weight over the course of the study were just 12 percent likely to develop breast cancer.

Breast cancer affects hundreds of thousands of women in the United States each year, and much research has been done on risk factors that influence breast cancer diagnoses.

While previous studies have shown obesity increases the risk for breast cancer, a new study published in CANCER tested the effects of weight loss on the risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women. The researchers found that older women who lost weight had less of a risk of developing invasive breast cancer, as opposed to those that either maintained or gained weight.

“Our study indicates that moderate, relatively short-term weight reduction was associated with a statistically significant reduction in breast cancer risk for postmenopausal women,” said lead author Dr. Rowan Chlebowski.

Effects of weight loss

To test their hypothesis, the researchers evaluated information from over 61,000 women who had participated in the World Health Initiative Observational Study.

At the start of the study, each woman’s body mass index (BMI), height, and weight were recorded. Participants were evaluated again three years into the study as either stable, loss, or gain. The women in the study also all had normal mammogram results and no history of breast cancer.

The study found that gaining weight wasn’t a direct link to breast cancer. However, participants in the study who did gain weight -- by at least five percent -- were 54 percent more likely to develop triple negative breast cancer -- a strain of the disease that doesn’t respond to hormonal therapy.

On the other hand, those who experienced a weight loss by at least five percent were 12 percent less likely to develop breast cancer.

Surgery has long been an option to treat breast cancer, but new research suggests that it could make the disease worse in some cases.

Findings published in the the journal Science Translational Medicine show that the process of the wound healing from surgery may increase the possibility of cancer spreading.

“Patients undergoing surgical resection of primary breast tumors confront a risk for metastatic recurrence that peaks sharply 12 to 18 months after surgery,” the authors write.

Previous research has also indicated that growth factors and inflammatory response from surgery are tied to increased risk of cancer spreading to other areas of the body. In some studies, the invasiveness of the procedure is tied to the risk.

Removes constraints on cells

Robert Weinberg, the study’s senior author, says the process of the surgical wound healing appears to remove the constraints on other cancer cells that have already spread to other areas of the body. Those constraints usually keep the cells from producing new malignant tumors.

Dr. Jason Williams, a radiologist at the Williams Cancer Institute, says the findings may be especially important for breast cancer patients.

"This gives further support to less invasive breast cancer treatments such as ultrasound guided percutaneous Cryoablation," Williams said. "We have known of these links and have combined injecting ketorolac into the tumor site treated by cryoablation for several years."

Ketorolac is a medication that has been used to slow or prevent cancer spread. Williams says it makes sense that it, and other less invasive treatments, should receive new consideration. However, he says more research will be necessary to refine the treatments.

Somewhat controversial

The theory that surgery can cause cancer to spread is somewhat controversial. In fact, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) includes it among its list of myths about the disease and says the risk is very low.

“Following standard procedures, surgeons use special methods and take many steps to prevent cancer cells from spreading during biopsies or surgery to remove tumors,” NCI says on its website. “For example, if they must remove tissue from more than one area of the body, they use different surgical tools for each area.”

Besides the physical and emotional toll a disease like cancer takes, there is also the financial toll. For example, some drugs used to treat cancer are extremely expensive. For patients, there is definitely a financial aspect to managing their disease.

Now, researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center are producing evidence that many women with early-stage breast cancer are getting treatment that may be a waste of money.

Specifically, they say patients often receive advanced imaging and other tests that provide little, if any medical benefit. In fact, they say these procedures could have harmful effects, and it's likely they will make the treatment more expensive.

Guidelines not being followed

Study leader Dr. Gary Lyman, a breast cancer oncologist, says current guidelines recommend against routine surveillance testing for patients in the early stage of breast cancer, but they're frequently performed anyway.

Lyman says the guidelines were drawn up to help patients and doctors make the best decisions, based on the best medical evidence. The guidelines specifically recommend against the routine use of advanced imaging scans and costly blood tests to track tumor markers.

That's because there have been several studies that have shown the patient gets no benefit, and there's a strong likelihood of false-positive results that can lead to unnecessary procedures, such as radiation treatment.

Message not getting through

But the Hutchinson researchers say the message isn't getting through. Their review of records in more than 2,000 early-stage breast cancer cases found that 37% percent received tumor-marker tests during the post-treatment surveillance period. On average, there were 2.8 tests per patient.

While there are obvious health concerns, Lyman said these patients faced costs higher than the patients who didn't get the extra tests and procedures.

"We believe one of the best ways we can help patients reduce their financial burden is for us to reinforce the message with oncologists that these tests have been shown to provide no benefit for this particular group of patients,” said Lyman.

Lyman and the research team will present the findings early next month at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting in Chicago.

The cost of treating breast cancer varies by the stage, with the lowest costs during early stages. An analysis of treatment costs by the National Institutes of Health placed average costs, in the first 24 months after diagnosis, at $72,000 for early-stage breast cancer.