On these pages you can check out the latest breast cancer news from BCAC and our member groups. We also provide up-to-date information and links to current breast cancer research and clinical trials. Read latest stories below, or use the filters or the pager below for other stories. Use the form to the right of this to subscribe to our e-News.
A new study shows that the number of women living with advanced breast cancer in the USA is growing and BCAC believes the situation is likely to be the same in New Zealand.
The research, published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, also looked at survival rates for women with metastatic breast cancer (MBC), which is breast cancer that has spread to other parts of the body.
New research shows that women taking Aromatase Inhibitors (AIs) as part of their breast cancer treatment have a two to four fold increase in bone loss compared to the usual rate associated with menopause.
AIs are often prescribed for women with hormone-receptive breast cancer and work to block the production of oestrogen in post-menopausal women.
The Breast Cancer Aotearoa Coalition (BCAC) welcomes new funding for the Government’s drug-buying agency, PHARMAC, but warns that it is not enough to make a real difference.
The Government has announced a $60 million increase in funding for PHARMAC over the next four years as part of Vote Health in Budget 2017.
The risk of developing breast cancer-related lymphoedema is associated with a range of factors, not just axillary (armpit) node surgery as is widely believed, a new study reveals.
Lymphoedema is a well-known side effect in women who’ve received treatment for breast cancer. It results in a swelling of the arm and chest area and is often associated with surgery to remove lymph nodes from under the arm.
New guidelines have been published to give breast cancer patients evidence-based advice on the most worthwhile and helpful complementary therapies.
Complementary medicine is intended to be used in conjunction with (not instead of) standard medical cancer treatments and includes techniques such as meditation, acupuncture, herbal medicine, massage, support groups, and yoga. Research shows that up to 80 per cent of breast cancer patients use some form of complementary therapy.
New research has found that random and unpredictable DNA copying “mistakes” are responsible for nearly two-thirds of the mutations that cause cancer.
This means “environmental” influences, such as nutrition and exercise, play less of a role in many cancer cases than previously thought.
New guidelines in the UK recommend that healthy post-menopausal women with a familial risk of developing breast cancer be prescribed the medicine anastrazole in a bid to help ward off the disease.
The recommendation comes from the UK’s drug regulator, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), which has just updated its familial breast cancer guidelines.
Eating foods rich in isoflavones, which are found in soy products, could help to reduce the death rate in women with certain types of breast cancer.
A new study, published in the journal Cancer, found that isoflavones are associated with lower death rates in women with hormone-receptor-negative breast cancer and those who are not receiving endocrine therapy.
New results from a major clinical trial testing the breakthrough breast cancer drug, Perjeta, show that it helped women with early HER-2 Positive breast cancer live longer.
Headline results from the Phase III APHINITY trial have just been released by the pharmaceutical company Roche.
The Pink Dragons dragon boat breast cancer survivors’ team celebrated their 10th Anniversary last year with a special Regatta joined by many other dragon boat teams. All the teams dressed up for the ‘Swashbucklers’ themed afternoon but unfortunately the weather had other ideas about the teams getting out on the water to race!
