breast cancer

Family medical histories are used to figure out whether it is worthwhile for a woman to be tested for BRCA genetic mutations, which increase the risk of breast and ovarian cancer.

Want A BRCA Test? Some Insurers Require Genetic Counseling First

4:58pm September 14, 2016

by Michelle Andrews

Doctors worry that requiring patients to see a separate genetic counselor will keep them from getting tested for mutations that significantly increase the risk of breast and ovarian cancer.

By testing tumors, researchers hoped to identify women who could avoid chemotherapy without increasing their risk of a cancer recurrence.

Study Of Breast Cancer Treatment Reveals Paradox Of Precision Medicine

1:30pm August 25, 2016

by Richard Harris

A genetic test of breast cancer tumors helped identify women whose survival odds would not be greatly improved by chemotherapy. But that test isn't as precise as women and doctors might like.

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Arnaldo Silva with his daughter Vanessa at StoryCorps.

Health & Safety

For Dad And Daughter Fighting Breast Cancer, Grit Runs In The Family

12:37pm July 29, 2016

by NPR Staff

Arnaldo Silva and his daughter Vanessa supported each other through chemotherapy treatments several years ago. Now, they are facing another fight.

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Breasts deemed "dense" in a mammogram tend to have less fatty tissue and more connective tissue, breast ducts and glands, doctors say. About 40 percent of women between the ages of 40 and 74 have dense breasts.

Got Dense Breasts? That Can Depend On Who Is Reading The Mammogram

6:28pm July 18, 2016

by Katherine Hobson

A big study suggests that radiologists vary widely in their assessment of density, a risk factor for breast cancer. And density is just one component of breast cancer risk, the researchers underscore.

These two normal mammograms show the difference between a breast with dense tissue, left, and one that is less dense. The dense tissue reads as white, the same color as breast cancer on a mammogram.

Letters Telling Women About Breast Density Are Often Too Darn Dense

3:25pm April 26, 2016

by Patti Neighmond

Half of states require that women who get mammograms be notified if they have dense breasts because they increase cancer risk. But the letters are often jargony and hard to understand, a study finds.

When Erika Stallings was 22, she found out that she might have a genetic mutation that greatly increased her risk of cancer.

More People Seek Genetic Testing, But There Aren't Enough Counselors

4:03pm April 18, 2016

by Todd Bookman

After Angelina Jolie disclosed her genetic predisposition for breast cancer, demand for genetic tests went up. Counselors help interpret those tests, and demand for their services has increased, too.

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Bad Luck Or Bad Genes? Dealing With BRCA And 'A Cancer In The Family'

1:29pm March 14, 2016

Oncologist Theodora Ross discusses the hereditary nature of cancer and her own predisposition to breast and ovarian cancer, which led her to have a double mastectomy and to have her ovaries removed.

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Treatment for breast cancer can have side effects including painful sex, to the point that women forgo cancer medications.

Topical Estrogen May Help With Side Effects After Breast Cancer

6:20pm February 22, 2016

by Dana Farrington

Estrogen supplements have been linked to cancer risk, but vaginal estrogen is probably safe for women who have had breast cancer, a national gynecologists's group says. It can help with side effects.

More and more surgeries are being performed in outpatient centers, and mastectomy is among them.

More Women Are Having Mastectomies And Going Home The Same Day

11:32am February 22, 2016

by Julie Appleby

There's very little data on how having a mastectomy as same-day outpatient surgery affects a woman's health. Laws in some states have restricted the use of so-called "drive by" mastectomies.

When Men Get Breast Cancer, They Enter A World Of Pink

2:02pm February 08, 2016

by Patti Neighmond

Most breast cancer cases are in women, so treatment and support are geared toward them. Men with breast cancer can feel isolated. One man was given a pink ice pack.

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