Feature Channels: Women's Health

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A new $21 million gift to the Basser Center for BRCA at the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania from alumni Mindy and Jon Gray will cement and propel Penn’s preeminence as a leader in research to improve treatment and prevention strategies for hereditary cancers. The gift brings the Gray’s total commitment to $55 million, following their initial $25 million gift that established the Basser Center in 2012, and subsequent gifts to support the Center, which advances BRCA gene mutation-related science around the world.

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As the nation struggles with soaring health care costs, a new report by RTI International shows that younger women diagnosed with breast cancer face a significant treatment burden.

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Mothers smoking crack cocaine during pregnancy—and its lingering effects on their children—are the focus of 20-plus years of ongoing research by Case Western Reserve University

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A new University of Washington study finds that smartphone apps to track menstrual cycles often disappoint users with a lack of accuracy, assumptions about sexual identity or partners, and an emphasis on pink and flowery form over function and customization.

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A shorter course of radiation therapy given to breast cancer patients following mastectomy is safe and effective and cuts treatment time in half. That is according to data from a phase II clinical trial conducted by Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey investigators and other colleagues who examined a hypofractionated regimen given over three weeks versus the traditional six week course of treatment.

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UCLA study identifies a potential test that may help select patients for whom combination therapy could be most effective

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In findings published in the journal Cancer, Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center researchers confirmed the link between alcohol consumption and breast cancer risk in a study in black women. The association has been seen in other studies drawn from majority white populations.

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Breast cancers detected by mammography screening do not spontaneously disappear or regress if left untreated, according to a new study published in the Journal of the American College of Radiology (JACR®). The scientific findings contradict claims that many cancers found via mammography may simply “go away” if left undiscovered or untreated.

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May is Healthy Vision Month when the National Eye Institute (NEI) encourages everyone to make eye health a priority. This message is especially important for women, who make up two-thirds of all people living with blindness or visual impairment from diseases such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD), glaucoma, and cataract.1 Among women age 40 and older in the U.S., 2.7 million are blind or visually impaired.2

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Patients who expressed the tumor antigen NY-ESO-1 had more aggressive cancers and were more likely to die early from their disease, according to a large study conducted by Roswell Park Cancer Institute researchers and published online ahead of print in the journal Gynecologic Oncology.

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New dye could help better identify ureter, the passage between kidney and bladder, and prevent injury during minimally invasive pelvic surgery for women.

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Women who have episiotomies after childbirth reported having poorer body image and less satisfying sex lives than women who tear and heal naturally.

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A financially strapped pregnant woman’s worries about the arrival and care of her little one could contribute to birth of a smaller, medically vulnerable infant, a new study suggests.

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Women at the highest genetic risk for fracture benefit the most from hormone therapy, according to a first-of-its-kind study led by researchers at the University at Buffalo.

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Featured research includes a non-invasive new screening approach for breast cancer, leads for drug discovery and insights on a cancer-protective diet.

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The CRF Women’s Heart Health Initiative is holding a yoga fundraiser on Tuesday, April 25th led by noted expert and senior instructor Tanya Boulton at Pure Yoga West in New York City. This is a wonderful opportunity to reduce stress and take care of your heart while raising money for heart disease research and education for women.

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A new pilot investigation at UAB is rethinking the exercise paradigm for breast cancer survivors with reduced mobility, evaluating the utility of simulated high-altitude training for the purpose of enhancing health and physical activity.

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Lisa A. Newman, M.D., MPH, director of the Breast Cancer Center at the Henry Ford Cancer Institute, has been appointed by Susan G. Komen – the world’s largest nonprofit funder of breast cancer research – to its Scientific Advisory Board.

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According to new research published online in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, increased consumption of alcohol, particularly white wine and liquor, is associated with a higher risk of rosacea in women.

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According to the most recent statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 22 percent of new HIV diagnoses in the United States in 2014 occurred among young people ages 13 to 24, 80 percent of whom were gay and bisexual males.

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It has been shown that both heavy and occasional drinking among the general population are linked to eating less fruits and vegetables, and eating more processed and fried meat. This is particularly worrisome for pregnant women, as both drinking and inadequate nutrition can have adverse consequences for the fetus. This study investigated links between maternal diet and drinking during pregnancy.

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Why are women at higher risk of complications after total hip or knee replacement surgery? An increased rate of hypersensitivity to the metals contained in joint implants might be a contributing factor, suggests a study in the April 19 issue of The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery. The journal is published by Wolters Kluwer.

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After studying viruses for 15 years, Dr. Anthony van den Pol believes he has found one that can safely and effectively kill chemotherapy-resistant ovarian cancer.

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Select breast cancer patients who achieved pathologic complete response (pCR) after chemotherapy may be able to avoid follow-up breast and lymph node, or axillary, surgery, according to new findings from researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. The study, published today in JAMA Surgery, identifies the exceptional responders who are at lowest risk for local metastases and thereby are candidates for less invasive treatment options.

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A new study, supported by the Minamata Convention’s Interim Secretariat hosted by UN Environment, reveals that women of childbearing age living in four Pacific Island countries have elevated levels of mercury in their bodies.

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The Global Health Catalyst Cancer Summit is an annual event that provides a forum for global health stakeholders to network, share knowledge and strengthen high-impact international collaborations that save lives while reducing global health disparities. Participants at the GHC Summit come from all across North America, Europe, Africa, and other impacted nations. Participants include leaders from the World Health Organization, World Bank Group, policy makers, Diaspora organizations, community leaders, U.S. congressional representatives, internationally recognized physicians and researchers, industry, professional sports celebrities and other cancer advocates.

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A study reported April 18 in the journal of the American Medical Association led by Indiana University suggests that mothers’ use of antidepressants during early pregnancy does not increase the risk of their children developing autism or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, conditions previously associated with these medications.

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The Booth Maternity Center, founded in 1971 with the support of The Salvation Army, was a dedicated maternity hospital for all women, promoting one standard of care regardless of an individual’s type of insurance or status in life. To honor its place in health care history, the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission has granted permission for a historical marker to be placed at its former location. The unveiling of the marker will take place on Friday, April 21, 2017 at 10 AM.

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Value in Health, the official journal of the ISPOR, announced today the publication of new research indicating that testing for variants in 7 cancer-associated genes (versus the usual process of testing in just 2 genes) followed by risk-reduction management could cost-effectively improve life expectancy for women at risk of hereditary breast cancer.

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Medication for addiction treatment (MAT) with buprenorphine or methadone is an appropriate and accepted treatment for pregnant women with opioid use disorder (OUD), according to a research review and update in the Journal of Addiction Medicine, the official journal of the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM). The journal is published by Wolters Kluwer.

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An international team of collaborators retroactively examined the associations between survival among patients diagnosed with invasive epithelial ovarian cancer and those patients’ history of hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, and medications taken for those conditions. They found that while hypertension was linked to better outcomes, diabetes was associated with decreased survival.

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Mothers who work as healthcare professionals – physicians, physician assistants and nurse practitioners – can significantly reduce their stress levels and burnout by participating in close supportive groups at work, according to a new study by researchers at Arizona State University and the Mayo Clinic. The shared experiences in these support groups provide a wealth of nurturance for the women.

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Mothers who work as health care professionals, such as physicians, physician assistants and nurse practitioners, can reduce their stress levels and burnout significantly by participating in close supportive groups at work, according to a new study by researchers at Arizona State University and Mayo Clinic.

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NYU Lutheran is expanding maternity services to serve a growing Brooklyn. Ming C. Tsai, MD, will lead the way as the newly appointed chief of OB/GYN.

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A new study has found a link between neurological birth defects in infants commonly found in pregnant women with diabetes and several neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Huntington’s diseases. This is the first time this link has been identified; it may indicate a new way to understand, and perhaps treat, both neural tube defects and these neurodegenerative diseases.

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CRF’s next Mini-Med School for Women will cover the role stress plays in heart disease, and ways to manage stress for optimal health. The seminar is part of the CRF Women’s Heart Health Initiative which aims to reduce gender disparity in cardiovascular care through research and education. These Mini-Med School seminars feature leading experts who give New York area women the tools to take better care of themselves and their loved ones.

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A new study from the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center examines the complex interaction between patients’ desires for contralateral prophylactic mastectomy and surgeons’ responsibility to minimize harm.

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A UAB OB/GYN discusses when and why an adolescent female should see a gynecologist.

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Dr. Kristin Anderson from Fred Hutch will describe preclinical research on T-cell therapy showing how engineered T cells are able to kill both human and mouse ovarian cancer cells in the lab and significantly extend survival in a mouse model.

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In adolescent girls with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), bringing the amount of abdominal visceral fat and liver fat down to normal restores ovulation, normalizes the symptoms of androgen excess, and may help prevent future subfertility, new research from Spain suggests. The results of the study will be presented Tuesday, April 4, at ENDO 2017, the annual meeting of the Endocrine Society, in Orlando.

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People drink alcohol for a number of reasons. This study focused on understanding why people drink and the consequences of their drinking. First, researchers identified “clusters” of drinkers in New Zealand, based on how much alcohol they drank, their beverage of choice, and a preference for public or private drinking locations. Second, it investigated the relations among drinker types and harms experienced, and considered their policy implications.

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New Dana-Farber study shows patients with platinum resistant ovarian cancer who wouldn’t be expected to respond to a PARP inhibitor had partial shrinkage of their tumor with the addition of a kinase inhibitor.

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Whitehead Institute scientists have identified a gene that could help clinicians discern which patients have aggressive forms of early stage breast cancer, which could prevent hundreds of thousands of women from undergoing unnecessary treatment and save millions of dollars.

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Traumatic brain injuries affect the body’s stress axis differently in female and male mice, according to research presented at the Endocrine Society’s 99th annual meeting, ENDO 2017, in Orlando, Fla. The results could help explain why women who experience blast injuries face a greater risk of developing mental health problems than men.

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Age-related female infertility explained by a defect in the choreography of chromosome sharing during cell division in eggs before they are fertilized.

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A natural, or bioidentical, combined estradiol-progesterone capsule (TX-001HR) significantly decreases the frequency and severity of moderate to severe hot flashes in postmenopausal women, the Replenish study finds. Results of this phase 3, randomized, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial will be presented Monday at ENDO 2017, the Endocrine Society’s 99th annual meeting in Orlando, Fla.

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Lindsey Konkel, a New Jersey-based freelance reporter, received the Endocrine Society’s annual Award for Excellence in Science and Medical Journalism, the Society announced today.

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A new imaging test may provide the ability to identify ovarian cancer patients who are candidates for an emerging treatment that targets a key enzyme cancer cells need to survive.

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Mothers who binge drink before they become pregnant may be more likely to have children with high blood sugar and other changes in glucose function that increase their risk of developing diabetes as adults, according to a new study conducted in rats. The results will be presented Sunday at the Endocrine Society’s 99th annual meeting in Orlando, Fla.