Acupuncture provides effective relief from hot flushes in women who are being treated with the anti-oestrogen tamoxifen following surgery for breast cancer, according to new research presented today (Friday) at the 6th European Breast Cancer Conference (EBCC-6) in Berlin.

Women with a particularly aggressive form of breast cancer seem to do better if they are treated with a combined anthracycline and taxane chemotherapy regimen before surgery, together with trastuzumab (Herceptin) before and after surgery, according to results from the largest multi-centre trial to investigate this treatment.

Mount Sinai School of Medicine researchers presented a new study to evaluate the impact of a tracking and feedback registry on breast cancer surgery patients. Presented at the American Association of Cancer Research Annual Meeting in San Diego, the study shows that a tracking system is key to improving rates of medical oncology consultation, reducing rates of adjuvant treatment underuse, and eliminating racial disparity in treatment.

Pregnant breast cancer patients can be treated as closely as possible to existing guidelines for non-pregnant patients, with few ill effects, a scientist told the 6th European Breast Cancer Conference (EBCC-6) today (Wednesday 16 April).

The early use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in women diagnosed with breast cancer can often lead to a better adapted surgical approach to the tumour, a scientist told the 6th European Breast Cancer Conference (EBCC-6) today (Wednesday April 16).

Obese women with breast cancer have worse disease outcomes and also tend to present to their doctor for the first time with more advanced disease, two scientists told the 6th European Breast Cancer Conference (EBCC-6) today (Wednesday 16 April).

Some women who carry the BRCA gene mutation, which predisposes to breast cancer, may choose to have a prophylactic mastectomy rather than undertake lifetime surveillance, a Dutch scientist will tell the 6th European Breast Cancer Conference (EBCC-6) today (Wednesday 16 April).

NovoCure announced today that it presented the results from a single-arm pilot trial evaluating the Novo-TTF, a non-invasive portable medical device, combined with neo-adjuvant chemotherapy for the treatment of patients with locally advanced breast cancer. Tumor volume shrank by 86-100 percent in the first four patients treated with the combined therapy, and one patient has experienced a complete response.

Researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center have discovered that a gene associated with human breast stem cells can stimulate development of mammary cells by activating two critical cancer pathways.

Green tea is high in the antioxidant EGCG (epigallocatechin-3- gallate) which helps prevent the body’s cells from becoming damaged and prematurely aged. Studies have suggested that the combination of green tea and EGCG may also be beneficial by providing protection against certain types of cancers, including breast cancer.

Hillary Clinton's breast cancer treatment plan includes $300 million in increased funding for breast cancer research annually and increased access to treatment and screening services.

Research led by Dr John Maher, Senior Research Fellow in the Division of Cancer Studies, School of Medicine at King’s, has developed a new way for the body to detect and fight breast cancer.