When people finish treatment for cancer, they want to bounce back to their former vital selves as quickly as possible. But a new Northwestern Medicine study – one of the largest survivor studies ever conducted – shows many survivors still suffer moderate to severe problems with pain, fatigue, sleep, memory and concentration three to five years after treatment has ended. 

Additional radiation treatment improves disease free survival, lessening the chance of cancer recurring in women with early breast cancer who have had breast conserving surgery (lumpectomy), interim results of a new study found. The results were presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. 

For women with breast cancer undergoing radiation therapy, yoga offers unique benefits beyond fighting fatigue, according to new research from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. While simple stretching exercises improved fatigue, patients who participated in yoga that incorporated yogic breathing, postures, meditation and relaxation techniques into their treatment plan experienced improved physical functioning, better general health and lower cortisol (stress hormone) levels. They also were better able to find meaning in their cancer experience. 

In the first large trial of its kind in the United States, researchers have shown that estrogen-lowering drugs can shrink tumors and reduce mastectomy rates for patients with stage 2 or 3 breast cancer. Patients with these larger breast tumors have two options, says Matthew J. Ellis, MD, PhD, of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and principal investigator of the trial conducted by the American College of Surgeons Oncology Group. "One option is to undergo mastectomy. The second is to receive medication before surgery to reduce the size of the tumor so that breast-conserving surgery becomes possible," he says.

Living Beyond Breast Cancer’s annual Conference for Women Living with Metastatic Breast Cancer was recently held in Philadelphia, April 30- May 1, 2011. The conference offered a wealth of useful information, ranging from medication to mental health and wellbeing. The overall message was one of hope.

The sentinel node (SN) procedure in breast cancer is based on the premise that if the first node into which breast tissue drains is clean, the remaining lymph nodes in the armpit are likely not involved, with no need for removal. This was developed to limit surgical overtreatment and reduce morbidities such as blockage of lymph vessels and shoulder dysfunction. However, in the initial years of the SN procedure, surgeries actually increased when isolated tumor cells were found. A special issue of Breast Disease presents an insightful overview of the Sentinel Node procedure.