A large-scale randomized study found that chemotherapy improves long-term survival for women under 50 and those in their 50s and 60s, even if the cancer has not spread. The treatment also showed benefits for women without evidence of disease spread.
Scientists have discovered two new variants of the APC gene associated with an increased risk of bowel cancer. These variants, found in a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, may be more common than previously thought and increase susceptibility to pre-cancerous polyps.
A new diagnostic technique has been found to distinguish benign breast abnormalities from breast cancer in pre-menopausal women. The test, called the Biofield Diagnostic System, performed best in this age group, with a high sensitivity and specificity rate.
Researchers found that women with the p53Arg gene variation are seven times more likely to develop cervical cancer due to HPV infection. The study suggests that this genetic variation may confer a strong susceptibility to skin cancers linked to HPV and ultra-violet radiation exposure.