Stand Up To Cancer

According to new research, around half of women who undergo surgery for breast cancer still experience symptoms of pain and numbness up to three years later, with women under 40 who've received lumpectomies at the greatest risk of lingering side-effects. Though it's considered normal for women to experience pain or loss of sensation in the breast, armpit, arm or side, 40% of women experience pain in other parts of the body. Scientists say that in most cases the pain can be reduced with the help of a physical therapist.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/11/11/breast.cancer.survivors.pain/

A story in the New York Times' excellent Well Blog looks at the results of a disturbing new study that indicates that women with cancer and other serious illnesses are seven times more likely to become separated or divorced than men with similar health problems. "There clearly is an emotional attachment women have to spouse, family and home that in times of stress causes women to hunker down and deal with it, while men may want to flee," said the study's lead researcher, adding that more research on the topic is needed. The study also showed that couples who had been married longer were less likely to break up following a cancer diagnosis.
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/12/men-more-likely-to-leave-spouse-with-cancer/

Scientists at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center have found that the drug Sprycel, which is used to treat chronic myeloid leukemia, can also be effective in fighting ovarian cancer. Better still, when paired with a chemotherapy regimen, the drug was shown to be even more effective. "It is important to remember that this work is only on cancer cell lines, but it is significant enough that it should be used to justify clinical trials to confirm that women with this type of ovarian cancer could benefit," said the study's first author.
http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2009/11/12/Leukemia-med-may-also-fight-ovarian-cancer/UPI-40751258054895/

In this NYT feature called "Uncovered," six patients share their experiences with the current health care system. The first, Tasha Huebner, tells her story of battling breast cancer first, then the bills that came along with it. "There was $5,000 that they denied for my surgery, and they said it was because there was an extra nurse in the room," she says. "I didn't even know what to do with that . . . I'd be tired, not feeling well, and I'd have more bills. I'd be in tears because it was just too much."
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/11/02/health/INSURANCE_VOICES.html?ref=health

Finally, this piece from US News and World Report confirms that the declining use of hormone replacement therapy among menopausal women may be driving down the rates of a condition known as "atypical ductal hyperplasia," which is a known risk factor for breast cancer. If the link is confirmed by subsequent research, the relationship between HRT and breast cancer will be better understood, hopefully leading to superior treatments.
http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2009/11/12/less-hrt-fewer-cases-of-possible-breast-cancer.html

That's all for this week, but check back next Thursday for more!

--Cat