Christine D. Berg

The Utility of Screening Mammography

The overall number of cancer deaths in the U.S. fell for the second straight year from 2003 to 2004, and a marked decline in breast cancer mortality

Unraveling the Molecular Genetics of Malignancy in Breast Cancer

Characterization of self-renewing “cancer stem cells,” coupled with the tools of molecular genetics, has enhanced our understanding of the malignant

Optimizing Radiation Therapy for Breast Cancer

Breast-conserving therapy, which typically consists of breast-conserving surgery and radiotherapy, is an accepted approach for treatment of early-stage breast cancer. Long-term effects of in-field or scattered radiation to adjacent normal tissues include elevated risks for heart disease and lung cancer, particularly in smokers. Adjuvant therapies such as doxorubicin and trastuzumab, which have cardiotoxicities of their …

Do Statins Lower Cholesterol and Prevent Breast Cancer

The Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) observational and clinical trials provide a superb data source for addressing questions such as the effect of statin use on breast cancer risk. This study of 156,351 postmenopausal women enrolled in the WHI examined the association between the risk for …

Does Elastography Improve Differentiation of Breast Lesions

Screening for breast cancer lowers mortality from the disease, but, because noninvasive tests often cannot definitively distinguish malignant from

Clarifying the Biologic Underpinnings for Differences in Breast Cancer Survival

Gene expression analysis has identified several breast cancer subtypes that are associated with distinct prognoses requiring different therapeutic approaches. The two main types of estrogen-receptor (ER)–positive breast cancer — luminal A and B — and the two main types of ER–negative breast cancer — basal-like and HER2-positive — are each associated with different prognoses. Researchers examined the prevalence and …

Tumor Gene Expression Profiles Can Guide Therapy Selection

Another approach for assessing responsiveness to chemotherapy relies on gene expression in breast tumor cells. To predict individual responses to

Optimizing Chemotherapy: The Importance of Estrogen-Receptor Status

Adjuvant therapies for women with early-stage breast cancer, and mammography screening of women 40 and older, have yielded substantial improvements in

Continued Progress in Adjuvant Therapy for Breast Cancer

Much of the recent decrease in breast cancer mortality has been attributed to tamoxifen therapy. Tamoxifen use for 5 years after diagnosis is recommended in women with hormone-receptor-positive disease; continued use after 5 years is not recommended. Aromatase inhibitors (including anastrozole, letrozole, and exemestane), which block the synthesis of estrogen metabolized from adrenal androgens, have emerged as promising agents …

Gene-Expression Microarray Technology for Breast Cancer Prognosis?

Tumor analysis using gene-expression microarray technology might hold promise for improved prognostic profiling and molecularly targeted therapies.