U.S. Task Force Updates Breast Cancer Gene Testing Recommendations

TUESDAY, Aug. 20, 2019 -- Mutations in two genes -- BRCA1 and BRCA2 -- are known to significantly increase the risk of breast cancer, but experts have long debated which women should be tested for them.

New recommendations from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) may help clarify who can benefit most from a risk assessment test. Now, if a woman has a high risk, the task force is recommending that she see a genetic counselor and possibly be tested for the BRCA mutations.

Early Risers May Be a Little Less Likely to Get Breast Cancer

THURSDAY, June 27, 2019 -- If you're a woman who greets the early morning with a smile, new research delivers good news -- you have a slightly reduced risk of developing breast cancer.

For night owls and people who tend to sleep more than the usual seven to eight hours nightly, the analysis suggested a slightly increased risk of breast cancer.

Could 3-D Mammograms Soon Be the Standard for Breast Cancer Screening?

MONDAY, June 24, 2019 -- More women are getting 3-D mammograms, which spot breast anomalies more accurately than traditional mammograms, a new study shows.

But there are big variations in use across the United States, the researchers noted.

'Focused' Radiation Could Lighten Treatment Burden for Early Breast Cancer

THURSDAY, June 6, 2019 -- Wendy Lybarger lived an hour's drive from the hospital where her breast cancer would be treated, so she was looking forward to a heaping helping of hassle.

For as many as six weeks, she'd have to travel there every weekday to receive radiation treatments after surgery to remove the small lump in her breast.