26 December 2017 A study recently published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons evaluated patient perceptions regarding knowledge about their breast cancer surgery. An online survey was distributed via email to patients who had participated in previous online surveys and had agreed to be contacted again. Enrollment quotas were set for geographic area, insurance status, and income level…
Read more19 December 2017 Up to 70% of patients treated for breast cancer experience some degree of cognitive dysfunction (more commonly known as “chemobrain”) during and immediately after treatment, and the symptoms may persist in up to 15-25% of patients. The impact on quality of life and ability to work varies; patients may experience forgetfulness, challenges with multitasking, and difficulty finding…
Read more10 December 2017 A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine has shown that birth control pills and other forms of hormone based contraception (such as some intrauterine devices (IUDs) are associated with an increased risk of breast cancer. We’ve thought that the pills currently in use, which have much lower doses of estrogen and progesterone compared to…
Read more7 December 2017 An abstract presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium found that acupuncture can be very helpful in patients who develop joint pains related to aromatase inhibitor (AI) treatment. The study evaluated the use of acupuncture in post-menopausal women who had been treated for early stage breast cancer. 226 patients were enrolled. 110 underwent true acupuncture, 59…
Read more