FEATURE:

Elizabeth Edwards' Death Drives Advocates at SABCS

BY KATHY LATOUR

There is a heightened sense of urgency among the 36 patient advocates gathered in a hotel meeting room before the beginning of the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. Having just arrived, most are hearing for the first time about the death of Elizabeth Edwards from metastatic breast cancer. They have come to learn all they can to return home and effect change. Edwards' death is an unneeded exclamation point about the importance of their mission. [MORE]

VIDEO:

Susan Love, MD

What does the future hold for screening and prevention of breast cancer? Debu Tripathy, MD, CURE's editor-in-chief, interviews Dr. Love on what may be coming in screening and preventing breast cancer, and what she plans to do with her Army of Women. [WATCH]

Briefs

Highlights from the 2009 Symposium: An Update

COMPILED FROM STAFF REPORTS

Physicians, researchers and advocates from all around the world came away from the 2009 SABCS with answers to a number of important questions: Is beginning on an aromatase inhibitor better than switching from tamoxifen? Is Herceptin more effective with or following chemotherapy in HER2-positive breast cancer? Does Avastin slow progression of metastatic breast cancer and by how much? And how well does Xgeva work against bone pain and fracture when compared with Zometa? Get an update on last year's breaking news. [MORE]

Preventing Cancer in BRCA Mutation Carriers

BY MELISSA WEBER

Every woman with a mutated BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene should have their ovaries removed to lower their risk of ovarian cancer, said speaker Susan Domchek, MD, during an educational session Wednesday at the SABCS. Calling the preventive surgery "mandatory" in BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers, Domchek said there's no evidence that current ovarian cancer screening is effective. [MORE]

Blogs

DEBU TRIPATHY, MD

Supportive care: An update from San Antonio

Wednesday was dedicated to a series of lectures and panel discussions aimed at both the public and professionals. The topics ranged the gamut of highly technical molecular analysis of cancer to the area of symptom management for breast cancer and cancer therapies. The symptom management conference was very well attended–-highlighting the growing attention that this area is receiving even though it has always been a principal concern of the patient. [MORE]

KATHY LATOUR

Advocates lead the way

Wednesday morning I joined the patient advocates of the Alamo Breast Cancer Foundation for Project LEAD, the National Breast Cancer Coalition's premier science training program for breast cancer advocates. The LEAD courses teach survivors what they need to know to serve effectively in a wide range of endeavors, from serving on education panels in their own community to helping determine where the Department of Defense awards research funds for breast cancer. [MORE]

SUSAN MCCLURE

33rd Annual San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium kicks off

What if I told you that losing your hair during chemotherapy may not be inevitable or that sometimes making irrational decisions can be beneficial? Or how about this... did you know that even cancer cells get stressed? Would I have your attention? These fascinating topics will be explored over the next few days at the SABCS, along with presentations on the latest research and treatment in breast cancer. [MORE]

KAT WERNER

Let the games begin

What do you get when you put 36 advocates, leaders from advocacy groups large and small and survivors in a room with at least five representatives from the biggest pharmaceutical companies? [MORE]

THANK YOU!

CURE would like to thank each of the following non-profit partners for helping to share the information in these daily updates with their networks. We encourage you to visit their websites and learn about these national and local resources that are available to you.

• Alamo Breast Cancer Foundation
• American Cancer Society
• Breast Cancer Aotearoa Coalition of New Zealand
• Breast Cancer Resource Centers of Texas
• Living Beyond Breast Cancer
• MyLifeLine.org
• Pink-Link
• SHARE Cancer Support
• Sharsheret
• Susan G. Komen for the Cure
• The Annie Appleseed Project

Message Board

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• Getting Involved: Beyond the Pink Ribbon
• Should prophylactic oophorectomy be considered "mandatory" for BRCA carriers?
• CURE Message Board

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