Erin Rowley

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced it would cover FDA-approved next-generation sequencing tests in people with certain advanced cancers, including metastatic breast cancer. The results of these tests can sometimes be used to make treatment decisions.

A study in the Annals of Surgical Oncology shows fewer than 25 percent of women who have DIEP flap breast reconstruction experience problems that require more surgery. But it also shows that problems are more likely when both breasts are being reconstructed than if only one breast is reconstructed.

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Olaparib is the first PARP inhibitor approved in breast cancer and the first medicine approved specifically for people with breast cancer and a BRCA mutation

A study found women with hormone receptor-positive early-stage breast cancer had a 10 to 41 percent risk of developing metastatic breast cancer in the 20 years after their diagnosis, despite standard hormonal therapy.

Study shows complete decongestive therapy reduces arm swelling in people with lymphedema, regardless of whether they had lymphedema treatment in the past.

At least 80 percent of women with breast cancer experience some sexual changes, including in their desire for sex and ability to have sex comfortably.

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Final results from the CREATE-X trial show capecitabine (Xeloda) could lower the risk of new breast cancer, recurrence or death by 30 percent or more.

The FDA announced approval of neratinib to treat people with early-stage HER2-positive breast cancer who have completed treatment with trastuzumab (Herceptin) and chemotherapy.

Getting lumpectomy instead of mastectomy, when recommended, doesn’t mean a higher chance of death or of cancer travelling to distant organs for very young women with breast cancer.

Kimberly Wooten spoke to LBBC about participating in a clinical trial of a HER2-targeted therapy.

Katie Benson spoke to LBBC about her DCIS diagnosis, and feeling conflicted about being treated with surgery alone and about her place in the breast cancer community.

In the SWISH trial, women diagnosed with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer and treated with exemestane (Aromasin) and everolimus (Afinitor) had fewer and less serious mouth sores when they used a prescription steroid mouthwash during treatment.

Anaplastic large-cell lymphoma or ALCL, a rare cancer that starts in the cells of the body’s immune system, is linked to the use of breast implants. It was first identified by the FDA in 2011 and information about it was added to breast implant labels.

Revisit these photos from ‘Namaste for a cause: Yoga with Goats,’ which raised over $750 for Reach & Raise 2017.

Roberta “Bobbi” Albany and Alysia “Pinkey” Pringle met at Young Advocate training in 2015 and struck up a friendship that has lasted through the years.

The bones are the most common place for breast cancer to spread. You may have metastases in your bones only or in the bones and other parts of your body. Bone pain, fractures and other effects of breast cancer in the bones, called skeletal-related events, or SREs, often lead to the diagnosis.

By making and meeting achievable goals like meeting up with a friend you haven’t seen in years, going to a place you’ve never been, learning a new skill, attending a child’s recital or finding a new hobby, people with metastatic breast cancer can create small, memorable moments every day.

When someone you care about is diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer, caregiving becomes a long-term responsibility. Every person has unique needs. But experts say there are a few things nearly everyone wants, or doesn’t want, from a caregiver.

Recent research suggests about half of women over age 65 who have stage I, II or III HER2-positive breast cancer don’t receive standard treatment with trastuzumab.

Many women with breast cancer are careful to avoid even slight trauma to their arms, in order to lower their risk of lymphedema. But new research suggests many of the precautions women are encouraged to take may not be necessary.

The American Cancer Society is recommending women who aren’t at high risk for developing breast cancer start yearly mammograms at age 45 and switch to every other year at age 55. They should continue getting the test every other year for as long as they are in good health and are expected to live 10 or more years.

How likely a woman was to be diagnosed with stage I breast cancer varied depending on her race or ethnicity. Black women were the least likely to be diagnosed with stage I disease.

Researchers found that a high number of African-American women don’t start taking hormonal therapy within the first year after a hormone-positive breast cancer diagnosis. These results may partly explain why African-American women have worse breast cancer outcomes than white women.

The FDA, recently approved a new delivery system for pegfilgrastim (Neulasta). The system is called the Neulasta Delivery Kit. The device is placed at a chemotherapy infusion and a day later releases a dose of pegfilgrastim, a medicine that increases white blood cell count to counteract the risk of infection that can be a side effect of chemotherapy.

Researchers found that among women with breast cancer living in rural areas, those who believe in their ability to exercise, believe there are few roadblocks preventing them from exercising, and have low levels of fatigue are most likely to get the recommended amount of exercise.

It is estimated that up to 75 percent of people who have chemotherapy during breast cancer treatment experience chemobrain. The problem isn’t unique to breast cancer, but it is possible hormones that are often involved in breast cancer, such as estrogen and progesterone, contribute to it.

Not all people have a choice when it comes to breast cancer surgery. If you do, many factors, such as lifestyle, concern about the cancer returning, and how your breasts affect your body image are likely to guide your decision.

According to research, women who have breast implant reconstruction, followed by radiation therapy, are not as happy with the results and report lower levels of well-being than women who have the same reconstruction without radiation therapy.

A recent study published in The New England Journal of Medicine looked at harmful mutations, or changes in the DNA of a cell, found on the PALB2 gene. The study found that, like BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations, PALB2 mutations greatly increase a person’s chance of getting breast cancer.