EARLY DETECTION: Mammography has been found to be a less reliable detection device than previously thought. Now a study in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute suggests that monthly self-exams do not lower the incidence of death from the disease. Meanwhile, magnetic resonance imaging has been found to detect tumors, though it is still not recommended as a mammogram replacement. In a study in this month’s issue of Radiology, ultrasound detected breast cancer in women with dense breasts who had normal mammograms and physical exams. The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center just announced it will oversee two major grants to develop a blood test that can be used along with mammography to improve early detection.
PREVENTION: Ductal lavage, an FDA-approved procedure, which has been dubbed the Pap smear for the breast, retrieves cells from a woman’s milk ducts in order to detect atypical cells that may become cancerous. The procedure is not ready for widespread use, but the goal is to make a test for the masses. “The future of breast cancer is getting to where it starts,” says breast-cancer expert Dr. Susan Love, who developed the test. “It’s the difference between catching somebody committing a crime, which is what mammography is, vs. figuring out the kids who are having problems.”
VACCINES: With large trials now underway, there is new hope for a breast-cancer vaccine. “The most promising thing of all is the extraordinary advances in molecular biology, our ability to find the abnormalities in DNA,” says Dr. Larry Norton of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
TREATMENT: Current drugs work in less than half the women who receive them. The new focus is on less toxic approaches than chemotherapy or tamoxifen. Aromatase inhibitors, which limit estrogen production, hold some promise for researchers. But there’s still a long way to go, says Fran Visco of the National Breast Cancer Coalition: “From advocates’ point of view, these are not major breakthroughs.” Evelyn Lauder, who co-created the pink ribbon a decade ago and whose Breast Cancer Research Foundation has raised $11.2 million for research this year, believes money will bring results. And researchers believe that we are getting closer. “It’s the most incredible time in history,” says Norton. “Treatment, cure and prevention are all going to go together.”
