MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'breast cancer gene'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:52:50 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3515578&cid=t_173395_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fstaying-abreast-of-better-health-practices%2F Steven Narod, MD, is a foremost authority on BRCA cancers. I met him after my genetics team at the University of Michigan referred Sister to him in Canada. Dr. Narod is affiliated with the Women’s College Research Institute in Toronto and is what you would expect from a passionate researcher — quirky and optimistic. Sister has been proactive about her diagnosis and is involved in a study in Canada where she is tested twice yearly; she receives a mammogram in January and an MRI in May. Her goal is to keep her breasts, and aggressive monitoring will identify any sign of a breast tumor early. She also stays abreast (pun intended) of continuing research and findings regarding genetic breast cancers. A hysterectomy two years ago reduced Sister’s risk of both breast cancer and ovarian canc... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3515578 Wed, 28 Apr 2010 18:35:30 +0100 3515578 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3508394&cid=t_173395_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fwhos-really-controlling-your-health-care%2F For the past year I have been debating health-care reform on the national front at Washingtonpost.com. People in America have been so concerned about big government takeover of health care that their fears have played right into the hands of big business. The practice of targeting and cancelling policies of people diagnosed with serious and chronic illness is well documented. Last week the news agency Reuters reported that WellPoint, the country’s largest insurance agency with nearly 34 million policyholders, had cancelled the policies of at least two women diagnosed with breast cancer [Editor’s note: WellPoint has issued a statement denying these allegations]. This isn’t new — breast cancer is expensive to treat and easy to profile, so insurers know what groups of people are most ... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3508394 Mon, 26 Apr 2010 18:30:19 +0100 3508394 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3494506&cid=t_173395_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fmy-hair-is-back-and-so-is-my-vanity%2F Finally! After five years, my hair is back to where it was before I was diagnosed with breast cancer. When my hair first started growing back after chemotherapy, it was completely different than what I was expecting. It was dark and curly, and the texture was thicker than my ”real” hair. I didn’t mind it much, mostly because I was so grateful not to be bald anymore. It was also a novelty to have short, dark, curly hair when most of my adult life I had shoulder-length, blond, straight shiny hair. As my hair continued to grow, it lost the curliness and I had long wavy brown hair — this was a novelty for me too. I actually felt like a sexy, sultry brunette. What I didn’t feel was like myself. For a few years, I struggled with my appearance. I liked how I looked as a brunette, bu... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3494506 Wed, 21 Apr 2010 18:06:34 +0100 3494506 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3472003&cid=t_173395_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Ffiber-does-good-things-for-my-family%2F Fiber is big news in nutrition. Every time I look into eating better and ways to improve my health or lose weight, I find another article on fiber — and I’ve gotten a lot of great information right here on EverydayHealth.com. Lately I have been looking into claims that increasing fiber in your diet can reduce the risk of colon cancer and even other cancers, including breast cancer. I can’t confirm these claims with what I have learned so far, but I can’t imagine that it would hurt. The one thing that I can tell you for sure is that fiber has done great things for my family. My boys have grown up with whole-wheat bread in our house, and in the past few years, I have bought only cereal, crackers, and baked goods made from 100% whole-wheat flour. My husband got on the fiber b... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3472003 Wed, 14 Apr 2010 17:34:23 +0100 3472003 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3463795&cid=t_173395_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fbreast-cancer-is-the-winning-story-at-the-masters-tournament%2F In May 2009, Amy Mickelson was diagnosed with breast cancer. She has been battling the disease for the past 11 months and has been bedridden for much of that time. Amy is a mother of three children and the wife of Phil Mickelson, the winner of the 2010 Masters golf tournament. Like many people, I tuned in to watch the Masters this past weekend because Tiger Woods was playing. I am not a huge fan of Tiger’s, but like a lot of people I was disappointed when I learned of his lapse in character and integrity over the past years. I am hoping for his family’s sake that Tiger can get his career and personal commitments back on track, so I tuned in hoping to see him do well. I can relate to his wife, Elin Nordegren, since I was betrayed by my first husband in a similar way. For obvious reasons... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3463795 Mon, 12 Apr 2010 17:56:58 +0100 3463795 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3456849&cid=t_173395_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fno-one-owns-the-breast-cancer-gene-anymore%2F About 10 years ago, a cousin of mine introduced me to the Human Genome Project. He was very excited about the science and process of identifying all the human genes and their sequences. The potential for scientific and medical breakthroughs was staggering. As I got interested in the research and began to follow the project, I was appalled by the business interests involved. Specific business groups began the process of patenting some of the genetic components and findings. It would be like you owning your home and property only to find that someone else owned and had the rights to all the earth on your lot. Although companies argued that by being able to profit from their findings they could continue research and development, it is pretty obvious that individuals and stock holders would b... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3456849 Fri, 09 Apr 2010 17:23:55 +0100 3456849 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1886433&cid=t_173395_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F7AGPP4X5_9o%2F Traditionally, it is difficult to predict whether a cancer will recur, but recently biomarkers have been increasingly used that predict the recurrence of disease such as in prostate or bladder cancer, or chances of survival as in breast cancer. Another milestone has recently been reached, this time with liver cancer - a genetic signature has been identified that predicted whether a liver tumor is likely to occur. A signature made of 186 genes were found by an international team of scientists by probing the gene expression of 6,000 human genes. Correlating the gene expression of some 6,000 human genes with the recurrence at least two years after surgery, and also survival, led to a list of 186 genes as the probable signature for liver cancer recurrence. The team still have to validate the... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1886433 Sat, 18 Oct 2008 06:27:51 +0100 1886433 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1856100&cid=t_173395_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FxJ-sEFoytPA%2F Mothers who tested positive for breast cancer gene are now asking a tough question - should we test the kids? Women with a faulty gene have a three to seven times greater risk of developing breast cancer and a higher risk of ovarian cancer. Men have more risk of prostate, pancreatic and other types of cancer. With insurance now covering for genetic tests and a law banning genetic discrimination, more BRCA gene carrying parents want to know if their kids are carriers too. However, little can be done to prevent or screen for breast or ovarian cancer before age 25, so knowing your genetic make-up would only cause needless worry, advised medical experts. If either parent does have the gene, the child has a 50% chance of inheriting it. So unless the risk of childhood cancer is high, and nothing... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1856100 Tue, 07 Oct 2008 01:20:43 +0100 1856100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1819389&cid=t_173395_136_f&fid=38061&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBreastCancerReconstructionBlog%2F%7E3%2F331329094%2Fbreast-cancer-gene-testing-less-likely.html NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - African American women are generally less likely than white women to pursue genetic testing for BRCA1 or BRCA2, the gene mutations associated with an increased risk of break cancer, researchers report. However, African American women with a recent diagnosis of breast cancer are much more likely to do so, according to the article in the Journal of Clinical Oncology."Everybody deserves consideration for testing if their clinical and family history situation warrant it," Dr. James P. Evans, from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, told Reuters Health. "Regardless of race, one has to approach genetic testing as an important option and explain the pros and cons to the patient."Evans and associates examined race and the timing of breast cancer diagnosis a... Breast Cancer Reconstruction Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1819389 Sun, 21 Sep 2008 01:14:27 +0100 1819389 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1404275&cid=t_173395_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fbreast-cancer%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fchoosing-to-pass-on-your-cancer-genes%2F While Sister and I are dealing with the issue of being BRCA carriers, I was asked to participate in a study being done at the University of Michigan about this very subject. The timing of course is conspicuous and is turning genetic testing not only into a current theme for this blog, but also for my life. The research team at the U of M is trying to determine how testing positive for genetic predisposition to breast cancer affects decisions to procreate. For me that point is moot; I have two teenage boys, so the decision was made, and without all the facts I might add. I would not remake that decision differently based on the positive result for BRCAII, but I may have floundered if someone had told me that my sons would not be so adorable once they hit puberty. In fact, if someone were to... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1404275 Mon, 28 Apr 2008 20:43:52 +0100 1404275 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1389294&cid=t_173395_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fbreast-cancer%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fbrca-ii-testing-saved-my-sisters-life%2F Many of us breast cancer survivors somehow find a blessing in having been diagnosed and treated for breast cancer. Usually the blessing comes in the form of a deeper realization of our selves and an increased desire to impact our world. For me, now, the blessing may very well be my sister’s life. Last Wednesday, Sister went to her surgeon for the follow-up appointment from the hysterectomy in March that she had to lesson her risks of developing breast and ovarian cancer as a BRCA II carrier. Her surgeon discussed the pathology report from the organs that had been removed, and we were shocked by the results. The report showed changes in cells in the fallopian tubes near her ovaries. These changes are consistent with someone who develops ovarian cancer (see image below). It was the doctor�... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1389294 Mon, 21 Apr 2008 20:13:38 +0100 1389294 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1383787&cid=t_173395_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fbreast-cancer%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Faccess-to-brca-testing%2F Without any plan or treatment, a BRCA carrier can have a risk of developing breast cancer as high as 80%. Your risk does not become lower because you haven’t been tested or don’t know about it. In my case and sister’s case, we were offered mammograms at the age of 40 because my mother had been diagnosed with breast cancer. Had she not developed breast cancer no one would have suggested that I be tested for the BRCA genetic predisposition to the disease. I was a carrier regardless and after we discovered that it came from my father’s side of the family, it became clear how important genetic testing actually is. My sister subsequently got tested and now because of her positive results was able to take steps to minimize her risks. When I met with a gynecology oncologist at University ... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1383787 Fri, 18 Apr 2008 22:28:03 +0100 1383787 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1325548&cid=t_173395_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fbreast-cancer%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Flosing-healthy-body-parts-to-stay-alive%2F I think a hysterectomy is a tough surgery on any woman. Even deciding on having the surgery is a tough one. Having to deal with making the decision to cut out healthy parts can’t be easy. For me it truly meant battling breast cancer head on, for Sister it is about preparing for battle that you hope won’t come. Because she tested positive for the BRCA2 gene mutation, there is the constant looming threat of the disease, so the hysterectomy is just one step in her vigil against breast cancer. Surgery wasn’t easy for Sister, she didn’t come out of anesthetic whistling Dixie, and I think she blames me for making it look easy since I seldom have a problem and wake up looking for the party. She felt sick and queasy and miserable for several days but I am happy to say that she is well on h... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1325548 Tue, 25 Mar 2008 16:29:26 +0100 1325548 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1292366&cid=t_173395_136_f&fid=36032&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fbreast-cancer%2Flife-with-breast-cancer%2Fliving-with-brca-breast-cancer-gene-mutation%2F Sister goes for a prophylactic oophorectomy this week. That is the medical way of saying that she is having her ovaries removed because of the increased risk of ovarian cancer she has from being a BRCA2 carrier. She was tested after I was diagnosed with breast cancer and tested positive for the gene mutation. She is determined to keep her breasts however and will just be very vigilant about testing for breast cancer. Ovarian cancer is really more insidious only because there is no standardized testing to catch it at an early stage. In addition, Sister has had a colonoscopy and will continue to get this test on a regular basis. She has an MRI on her breasts yearly and is part of a study monitoring high risk candidates for breast cancer being conducted in Canada. Living with the BRCA II gene... Life with Breast Cancer blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1292366 Tue, 11 Mar 2008 01:13:30 +0100 1292366