Cancer Research

(Newser) - Doctors searching for polyps during a colonoscopy need to focus more on flat or depressed lesions, the New York Times reports, which are more likely to grow into cancer—and more common in the US than previously thought, a study finds. Polyps, which protrude from intestinal lining, are easier to find; US doctors need more practice finding the lesions, one says. More »

(Newser) - Breast cancer remains a risk for women even after they stop taking hormone therapy, researchers said yesterday. A follow-up to a 2002 study showed that women who dropped estrogen and progestin still had a 24% greater breast cancer risk. But their chance of a stroke, heart attack, or blood clot fell to normal levels after halting the therapy, Reuters reports. More »

(Newser) - Women who use hormone replacement therapy to combat menopause symptoms are more likely to get false mammogram results and have unneeded biopsies, new research shows. The UCLA analysis of an earlier study of more than 16,000 women found that 35% of those on hormones received skewed test results, as opposed to 23% of women on a placebo, Reuters reports. More »

(Newser) - The FDA has approved a drug currently prescribed to treat lung and colon cancer for use on breast cancer patients, the AP reports. The decision defies the advice of the FDA's own advisory panel, which recommended that Avastin not be used to treat breast cancer on the grounds that it slowed tumor growth without increasing life expectancy. Patient advocates are thrilled with the ruling. More »

(Newser) - Women who live in areas with a large about of night-time light face an increased risk of breast cancer, and scientists believe it may be because the light interferes with a tumor- fighting hormone, reports the Washington Post . Researchers compared satellite images at night with cancer registries and found breast cancer rates up to 64% higher in well-lit areas than in regions with the least amount of night-time illumination. Scientists called it a "clear and strong correlation." More »

(Newser) - People who use cell phones frequently are 50% more likely to develop salivary gland tumors, according to a new study. Researchers at Tel Aviv University compared a population of nearly 500 tumor patients to a control group of healthy subjects; more than 400 of the 500 patients selected for study had benign tumors, while 58 suffered from malignant ones. More »