Breast cancer

Progesterone receptor could slow breast cancer growth

Researchers have discovered why breast cancer patients whose tumours display both oestrogen and progesterone receptors have the best chance of survival.…

Exercise programmes benefit women on chemotherapy

An exercise programme involving twice weekly supervised gym sessions can help minimise fatigue and the need to reduce doses of chemotherapy in women with breast cancer.…

Canine and electronic noses and their medical applications

Research has shown that dogs can detect volatile compounds in human breath that indicate different types of cancer. Prototype ‘electronic noses’, such as the Na-Nose, can also detect cancer from patients’ exhaled breath.…

Goserelin protects against ovarian failure in women treated for breast cancer

Research suggests that the gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist goserelin can help protect against ovarian failure in women treated for breast cancer.…

Short-term use of hormone replacement therapy linked to ovarian cancer

Women who take hormone replacement therapy (HRT) are at a higher risk of developing ovarian cancer, even if it is taken for less than five years, suggest the results of a meta-analysis published in The Lancet.…

Breast cancer drug palbociclib gets expedited approval in United States

The US Food and Drug Administration has approved palbociclib (Ibrance; Pfizer) for advanced (metastatic) breast cancer under its accelerated approval programme.…

Paclitaxel plus trastuzumab tested in node-negative HER2-positive breast cancer

Researchers report promising results for paclitaxel plus trastuzumab in some patients with node-negative HER2-positive breast cancer.…

NHS England drops therapies from cancer drugs fund to save £80m

A total of 25 clinical indications will be removed from the government’s cancer drugs fund list, NHS England has announced.…

Chemoprevention with tamoxifen cuts risk of breast cancer by almost 30%

Tamoxifen used in primary prevention cuts the risk of breast cancer by around 30% and this benefit lasts for at least 20 years, a long-term follow-up of the International Breast Cancer Intervention Study shows.…

Sequencing cancer genomes to tailor treatments to individual patients

Screening for hundreds of mutations in tumours is the most promising route to customised drug treatments for cancer.…