Viruses, Infections & Disease, features and articles | Educational Science

May 30, 2013

Breast Cancer: What Raises Your Risk?

The Healthy Geezer answers questions about health and aging in his weekly column. Question: Is breast cancer the leading cause of cancer death in women? Answer: Breast cancer is second — behind lung cancer — as the leading cause of cancer death in women. The chance of developing invasive breast...

May 30, 2013

Sheryl Crow's Brain Tumor and Breast Cancer: Are They Related?

The singer Sheryl Crow's recent diagnosis of a brain tumor is not likely related to her previous battle with breast cancer, experts say. Yesterday, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported the singer was diagnosed with a begin brain tumor in November after experiencing symptoms of memory loss. The type of tumor...

May 30, 2013

Diabetes Drug May Lower Breast Cancer Risk

A diabetes drug may reduce the risk of breast cancer in some women, a new study suggests. In the study, postmenopausal women with diabetes who took the drug metformin to control their blood sugar were 25 percent less likely to have breast cancer after 11 years, compared with diabetes-free women...

May 30, 2013

Breast Cancer Radiation Slightly Raises Heart Disease Risk

Radiation treatments for breast cancer may increase the risk for heart disease later in life, a new study suggests. In the study, the higher the level of radiation to the chest, the greater a women's risk of ischemic heart disease was within five years after therapy, the researchers said. Ischemic...

May 30, 2013

False Alarm Mammograms Affect Women for Years

Women who receive bad news after a mammogram may have psychological difficulties — regardless of whether they later turn out to actually have breast cancer, a new study from Denmark shows. Women in the study who received a false positive mammogram result, who were subsequently found to not have breast...

May 30, 2013

Not in the Bag: Doubt Cast on Green Tea as Breast Cancer Shield

Drinking green tea may not protect against breast cancer after all, a new study suggests. Middle-age and older women who drank 10 or more cups of green tea a day didn't have a lower breast cancer risk than women who drink half a cup or less a week, said study...

Jun 13, 2013

Supreme Court Ruling Could Drop Price of Breast Cancer Gene Test

The price of testing for the breast cancer genes BRCA1 and BRCA2 could come down in the near future as a result of a Supreme Court ruling on gene patents today (June 13), some experts say. In a 9-0 ruling, the Supreme Court determined that human genes are not patentable,...

Jun 27, 2013

Omega-3 in Fish May Reduce Breast Cancer Risk

A large review of studies concludes that women who consume more omega-3 fatty acids by eating fish were at a lower risk of having breast cancer. The researchers in China analyzed the results of 26 international studies involving almost 900,000 women, including 20,000 who had breast cancer. The scientists found...

Jul 9, 2013

6 Foods That May Affect Breast Cancer Risk

Intro (Image credit: Dreamstime)A woman's risk of breast cancer depends on many things, including her genetics, lifestyle and plain old chance. One out of every eight women today will be diagnosed with breast cancer at some point in her life. There are many risk factors for breast cancer, including some...

Aug 5, 2013

Some Blood Pressure Drugs May Raise Breast Cancer Risk

Taking one type of high blood pressure medication might increase women's risk of breast cancer, a new study suggests. The researchers found women in the study who had been taking calcium-channel blockers to treat high blood pressure for more than 10 years were 2.5 times more likely to have breast...

Sep 9, 2013

Breast Cancer Screening: New Study Suggests Benefit of Early Mammograms

Whether women in their 40s benefit from getting mammograms to detect breast cancer is controversial, but a new study argues in favor of more frequent screening in this age group. The researchers analyzed information from 7,301 women who were diagnosed with breast cancer at several hospitals in Boston between 1990...

Sep 24, 2013

Breast Cancer Prevention Drugs Recommended for High-Risk Women

Women at high risk of developing breast cancer may benefit from taking medications that reduce the risk of the disease, but average-risk women should not take the drugs, according to new recommendations from a government-appointed panel of experts. The recommendations, made by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, apply to...

Oct 10, 2013

Breast Cancer Blood Tests Available, But Not Proven

Detecting breast cancer with just a blood sample is the goal of several new tests hitting the market, but experts say it's too early to tell whether using such tests could make a difference in terms of patients' treatment and survival. One new test, called ClearID Breast Cancer, is marketed...

Oct 15, 2013

New Breast Cancer Gene Test Gives Patients More Options

A new test has been introduced to screen for inherited forms of breast cancer, offering patients an alternative to the test developed by Myriad Genetics, which was long the sole option available. Myriad's genetic test was at the forefront of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision this summer when it ruled...

Nov 5, 2013

Robot Detects Breast Cancer With Space-Grade Tech

The same technology designed for huge robotic arms that help astronauts in space is being brought back to Earth to do some heavy lifting in cancer treatment — in the form of a surgical robot. Its inventors say the robot could take breast biopsies with remarkable precision and consistency. The...