227 women aged between 20 and 85 years who had undergone surgery for breast cancer were enrolled in a study and were randomly assigned into two groups, one group received a psychological intervention, while the other did not.
The psychological intervention aimed to reduce distress, improve quality of life and mood, improve heath related behaviours and to improve the women’s adherence to their cancer treatment and follow-up programme.
After 11 years follow-up and comparison, researchers found that the psychological intervention roughly halved the chances of cancer returning and affected the length of time it took for the disease to reoccur. Critics say the study highlights the importance of appropriate support for women with breast cancer.
Source: Andersen BL, Yang HC, Farrar WB. Psychologic intervention improves survival for breast cancer patients. Cancer 2008; Published Online: 17 Nov 2008
Showing posts with label breast cancer survivors. Show all posts
Showing posts with label breast cancer survivors. Show all posts
Friday, November 21, 2008
Thursday, October 25, 2007
More women choosing double mastectomies
In a study of 4,969 American women who chose contralateral prophylactic mastectomy (CMP), researchers report that the rate of preventive mastectomy in women with single-breast cancer rose 150% in six years although the actual number of women choosing double mastectomy is relatively small.
The lead author said such aggressive strategy may be unnecessary because the risk of cancer spread to other body sites is higher than the risk of getting cancer in the second breast. He emphasized that women may benefit from treating the known breast cancer first and thinking about other options later after their treatment is completed.
The lead author said such aggressive strategy may be unnecessary because the risk of cancer spread to other body sites is higher than the risk of getting cancer in the second breast. He emphasized that women may benefit from treating the known breast cancer first and thinking about other options later after their treatment is completed.
Source: "Increasing Use of Contralateral Prophylactic Mastectomy for Breast Cancer Patients: A Trend Toward More Aggressive Surgical Treatment". Journal of Clinical Oncology , 22 Oct 2007 (ahead of print)
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Does high-veggie diet stop cancer return?
According to a study published last week, daily servings of fruits and vegetables does not increase breast cancer survival rates. The current results contradict previous findings that diet made a big difference in reducing breast cancer risk.
Breast cancer survivors were assigned to 2 groups : a control group that followed the FDA nutrition guidelines and an intervention group that was instructed to consume 8 servings of fruits and vegetables, plus 16 ounces of fresh vegetable juice and permitted to eat meat but consume no more than 20% of total calories from fat.
Some cancer experts said that the study was poorly designed and executed: participants self-reported their eating habbits, most did not reach the target of fat reduction and the participants already ate more fruit and vegetables than most Americans before the study started. Some experts said the conclusions were misleading fearing it would discourage breast cancer survivors from pursuing a healthy diet.
The study "Influence of a Diet Very High in Vegetables, Fruit, and Fiber and Low in Fat on Prognosis Following Treatment for Breast Cancer" was published in JAMA. 2007;298:289-298. Read the abstract.
Read the press release at ABC News.
Breast cancer survivors were assigned to 2 groups : a control group that followed the FDA nutrition guidelines and an intervention group that was instructed to consume 8 servings of fruits and vegetables, plus 16 ounces of fresh vegetable juice and permitted to eat meat but consume no more than 20% of total calories from fat.
Some cancer experts said that the study was poorly designed and executed: participants self-reported their eating habbits, most did not reach the target of fat reduction and the participants already ate more fruit and vegetables than most Americans before the study started. Some experts said the conclusions were misleading fearing it would discourage breast cancer survivors from pursuing a healthy diet.
The study "Influence of a Diet Very High in Vegetables, Fruit, and Fiber and Low in Fat on Prognosis Following Treatment for Breast Cancer" was published in JAMA. 2007;298:289-298. Read the abstract.
Read the press release at ABC News.
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