Five hundred miles from her hometown in northern Virginia, newlywed Jeannie Choi, 30, and her husband were settling into to Massachusetts and their new careers in July 2015. Just three months later, their wedding vows – to support each other in sickness and in health – would be put to the test with another transformative … Read more
When Judy Rosenbaum was diagnosed with breast cancer, the thought of serious treatment and surgery, like a mastectomy, was frightening. Working with her doctors and care team, Judy found a “less is more” treatment approach and elected to have a lumpectomy rather than a mastectomy. “I was terrified of having surgery,” Rosenbaum says. “The only … Read more
Traditionally, the war on cancer has been waged from the outside in, with therapies such as surgery, radiation, and drugs entering the body from external sources. For more than 100 years, however, a notion has persisted that the most formidable tool against cancer may come from within: the immune system. The immune system is the … Read more
Age is the biggest single risk factor for cancer. Risk increases significantly after age 50, and half of all cancers occur at age 66 and above. According to the National Cancer Institute, one quarter of new cancer diagnoses are in people aged 65 to 74. The median age of diagnosis varies in different cancer types … Read more
After more than a year of chemotherapy and radiation, Pamela Gasek was finally cancer free. She had completed treatment for breast cancer, but now she had to decide how to move forward. Breast cancer remission brings new challenges such as managing relationships and dealing with lasting side effects from treatment, and Gasek needed some guidance. … Read more
When facing a diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer, patients often have many questions about clinical trials: Is a clinical trial right for me? When is a good time to consider a clinical trial? What types of treatments might be available? While there may be many questions about the process, the decision to participate in a … Read more
Some people may think of breast cancer as a disease that only affects older women. But many young women can and do get breast cancer – just like Maggie Loucks, NP-C, who was diagnosed one week after her 28th birthday. “Hearing the words ‘the lump is malignant’ isn’t really anything you can prepare yourself to … Read more
While most women may understand genetic and lifestyle risks for breast cancer, many do not realize that breast density also plays a significant role in breast cancer risk. Breasts are considered dense if they are mostly made up of glandular and fibrous tissue and not much fat. Breast density can only be seen on a … Read more
Understanding the risk factors for cancer can help you make decisions about prevention and screening for early signs of cancer. Here is a look at the five most common cancers in women*, as well as steps you can take to help find these diseases early if needed. 1. Breast cancer As with most cancers, the … Read more
After completing treatment for breast cancer, many patients may focus on their risk of recurrence. While this risk is individualized, there are certain factors your doctor may consider to determine whether you are at a higher or lower risk for the cancer returning. “Each person’s breast cancer diagnosis is different, and includes unique factors that … Read more
Shortly after she was diagnosed with stage IV breast cancer, Duncan Finigan met with her oncologist, Eric Winer, MD, at the Susan F. Smith Center for Women’s Cancers at Dana-Farber. “I can’t deal with this ‘stage’ thing,” Finigan told him right away. In response, Winer said Finigan didn’t have to refer to her disease as … Read more
Triple-negative breast cancer is a subtype of breast cancer where cancer cells do not contain estrogen receptors or progesterone receptors, and HER2 receptors are also absent or present at low levels. Triple-negative breast cancer accounts for roughly 15% of all breast cancer cases and can be somewhat more aggressive than hormone-positive or HER2-positive breast cancer. Who is most at risk for … Read more
Hormone therapy might more accurately be called anti-hormone therapy because it works by blocking hormones that spur certain cancers to grow. Hormones act by attaching to proteins, called receptors, on the outside of cells, resulting in cell or cancer growth. Reducing this type of cancer cell growth by blocking hormones is used most commonly in … Read more
Exercise and other integrative therapies, including yoga, can ease the symptoms of breast cancer and its treatment, help patients feel better during treatment, and can be scaled to fit each patient’s unique needs and abilities. For patients who might experience lymphedema following surgery or radiation, yoga can help restore range of motion in the arms … Read more
When Melissa Angiolillo was diagnosed with breast cancer in January 2015, she had all the support of her husband, family and friends. But what she really needed was someone who had gone through what she was about to experience, someone who knew what it was like to face a stage III breast cancer diagnosis. Enter … Read more
Although there is no cure for metastatic breast cancer, new developments in treatment and research are helping patients live longer and experience a better quality of life. In this Cancer Conversations podcast episode, Eric Winer, MD, director of Breast Oncology Program in the Susan F. Smith Center for Women’s Cancers at Dana-Farber, discusses the latest … Read more
HER2-positive breast cancer is a subtype of breast cancer. Approximately 20% of breast cancer cases are HER2-positive. HER2, which stands for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2, is a protein that appears on healthy breast cells in low numbers and is vital for the normal growth of breast cells. HER2-positive cancers have higher than normal levels of … Read more
Hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer (HR+) is the most common subtype of breast cancer, affecting roughly 65 to 75 percent of breast cancer patients. It is one of several subtypes of breast cancer determined by the presence or absence of estrogen and/or progesterone hormone receptors. When patients are diagnosed with HR+ breast cancer, it suggests their cancer … Read more
Although only a small percentage of breast cancers are considered hereditary, genetic testing and cancer risk — specifically the BRCA1/2 genes — have made many headlines in recent years. But what exactly does it mean to have a BRCA mutation, and what do women need to know? In this Cancer Conversations podcast episode, Huma Rana, … Read more
What is a mammogram? A mammogram is the most effective test for detecting breast cancer. It is a special X-ray of the breast that can reveal tumors that are often too small to be felt or noticed on a physical examination. It can also show other changes in the breast that doctors believe may suggest … Read more