breast cancer

On a mammogram, LCIS and ALH typically look like small deposits of calcium.In women whose initial breast biopsies revealed certain rare, yet benign breast conditions, more extensive follow-up surgical biopsies found that up to 25% of them actually had cancer in addition to these benign lesions. Most of the cancers were invasive, meaning the tumors had penetrated normal breast tissue and would require treatment. In the study, conducted at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, the women’s initial biopsies had revealed atypical lobular hyperplasia (ALH) or lobular carcinoma-in-situ (LCIS), conditions that increase the risk of breast cancer, but which are themselves considered benign.

Mice with Tax-induced leukemia/lymphoma develop large tumors and many areas of bone destruction, as shown in this X-ray.Defeating cancerous tumors by attacking healthy cells seems like an unusual strategy, but researchers at the School of Medicine have shown the strategy to be effective against leukemia/lymphoma in mice. The research group found that inhibiting normal bone-maintenance cells called osteoclasts not only prevented the mice’s cancer from spreading to their bones, it also slowed the growth of tumors in the body’s soft tissues.

Mice with Tax-induced leukemia/lymphoma develop large tumors and many areas of bone destruction, as shown in this X-ray.Defeating cancerous tumors by attacking healthy cells seems like an unusual strategy, but researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have shown the strategy to be effective against leukemia/lymphoma in mice. The research group found that inhibiting normal bone-maintenance cells called osteoclasts not only prevented the mice’s cancer from spreading to their bones, it also slowed the growth of tumors in the body’s soft tissues.

Detecting breast cancer recurrence with a simple blood testPhysicians treating women with breast cancer recognize the need for a specific and sensitive method to monitor disease recurrence, so they should be encouraged by a new study that describes a biomarker that seems to fill those criteria. Researchers at the School of Medicine have shown that mammaglobin, a protein secreted by breast tumor cells, can readily be detected in the blood serum of patients with metastatic breast cancer using an inexpensive, reliable clinical test.

Detecting breast cancer recurrence with a simple blood test.Physicians treating women with breast cancer recognize the need for a specific and sensitive method to monitor disease recurrence, so they should be encouraged by a new study that describes a biomarker that seems to fill those criteria. Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have shown that mammaglobin, a protein secreted by breast tumor cells, can readily be detected in the blood serum of patients with metastatic breast cancer using an inexpensive, reliable clinical test.

Mammograms could more frequently bear good news if researchers develop an effective breast cancer vaccine.Progress toward development of a breast cancer vaccine has been reported by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine and the Siteman Cancer Center in St. Louis. Physicians believe a vaccine-induced immune response could be used to supplement other cancer therapies or to immunize high-risk people against cancer.

Mammograms could more frequently bear good news if researchers develop an effective breast cancer vaccine.Progress toward development of a breast cancer vaccine has been reported by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine and the Siteman Cancer Center in St. Louis. Physicians believe a vaccine-induced immune response could be used to supplement other cancer therapies or to immunize high-risk people against cancer.

Keith Brandt performs a breast reconstruction using the TRAM flap procedure.When a breast cancer patient requires a mastectomy, cancer surgeons and reconstructive plastic surgeons at the Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and WUSM now perform a technique called the TRAM (traverse rectus abdominus myocutaneous) flap procedure, which allows surgeons to use the patient’s own tissues to recreate a natural breast.