Breast cancer radiation not as fearful as previously thought

New research conduced on more than 300 women undergoing radiation therapy for breast cancer has found that this treatment procedure may not be as unnerving and fear-inducing as originally thought, alleviating common misconceptions.  According to Dr. Beryl McCormick, radiation oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, "47% [of patients] said that before treatment, they'd read or heard scary stories about the effects of breast radiation."  However, when these patients were asked in hindsight to reflect back on their treatment experience, "84% said their side effects had been less serious than expected."

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Newer Breast MRI may be more accurate and faster

Research conducted out of Germany suggests that a new MRI technique without use of a contrast agent may more accurately detect cancer vs. harmless lesions.  According to lead researcher Dr. Sebastian Bickelhaupt, head of teh Breast Imaging Research Group at the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg, the new MRI "maps the movement of water molecules in the tissue.  If a malignant tumor grows in the tissue, it disrupts the healthy tissue structure, which changes the movement of water molecules in this area."  According to the study, this new technique detected 98% of breast cancers accurately, reducing false-positive findings by 70%.

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Study mentioned

Cancer-causing HPV can reside in throat

Researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York claim that the HPV "virus could be present in people's throats without people aware that they're carriers."  While it is believed that only 5% of individuals with HPV will develop cancer of the mouth or throat, the researchers do expect that cases of head and neck cancer will outnumber cervical cancer cases by 2020.  Thus, according to study author Dr. Matthew Miller, the findings observed at Rochester "could have far-reaching implications for identifying people at risk of developing HPV-related head and neck cancers and ultimately preventing them."

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Cancer survival rates vary across the world

A new study published in the January 30 issue of The Lancet shows that while cancer survival rates are, in general, improving worldwide, diversity continues to exist between wealthy and poor countries.  Conducted from 2000-2014, the study assessed "five-year cancer survival rates among 37.5 million children and adults diagnosed with one of 18 common cancers." from 71 countries and territories.  Of significant note is the 5-year survival rate of breast cancer, brain tumour, and lung cancer; breast cancer survival has risen to 90% in the USA and Australia vs. 66% in India; brain tumour survival in children is listed as 80% in Denmark and Sweden, but less than 40% in Mexico and Brazil; lung cancer survival rates have risen from 7%-13% in the United Kingdom, with significant increases in China (from 8%-20%), Japan (23%-33%) and Korea (10%-25%).

To read more about this study, click here.