Health Buzz: HER2 Gene Test Not Reaching Eligible Women and Other Health News

Some Eligible Breast Cancer Patients Not Getting HER2 Gene Test

A new study finds that the number of breast cancer patients who receive HER2 genetic testing varies widely, Bloomberg reports. The study showed that two thirds of women with invasive breast cancer had no record of receiving the HER2 test, used to identify breast cancers for which the drug Herceptin is useful. Around 20 percent of women with invasive breast cancer have cells that overproduce the HER2 protein, making their cancer more aggressive and harder to treat, according to Bloomberg. Herceptin is a "highly effective" treatment for women with this type of breast cancer, the study's authors noted. The study results, published online in the journal Cancer , also showed that around 1 in 5 women taking Herceptin had no record of being tested, suggesting it may in some cases be prescribed needlessly; giving the drug to patients whose cancers do not overproduce HER2 may increase the risk of heart failure, according to Bloomberg.

Learn these 4 steps to lower your breast cancer risk, and here are 7 things you should consider if breast cancer runs in your family.

7 Ways to Maintain a Healthful Type 2 Diabetes Diet

A diagnosis of type 2 diabetes means lifestyle changes that can be frustrating but are important for a long, healthy life. At the top of the list is adjusting to a type 2 diabetes diet, but a new study of overweight and obese diabetics, published in August in Journal of the American Dietetic Association , suggests that diabetics often don't follow recommended nutrition guidelines designed to keep body weight down and glucose levels in check.

Ninety-three percent of participants consumed more calories from fat than they should, 85 percent consumed too much saturated fat, and 92 percent took in too much sodium, U.S. News's January Payne reports. Researchers compared what study participants reported eating with the recommendations in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the Institute of Medicine's Dietary Reference Intakes. The research serves as a heads-up to all type 2 diabetics—not just the newly diagnosed—since it found that people who had lived with diabetes for the longest periods of time were no more likely to maintain a healthful diet than people who'd had the disease for shorter periods. Whether you were diagnosed many years ago or only recently, Payne offers 7 tips for starting and maintaining a healthful type 2 diabetes diet.

Read why it's OK to incorporate flexibility into your diabetes diet and why you should know your risk of developing diabetes.

Kids Will Still Need 2 H1N1 Swine Flu Shots

Last week, news media reported clinical trial results of a swine flu vaccine under development that was found to work in just one shot. The tests were conducted with adults, U.S. News contributor Nancy Shute reports. Researchers are trying to figure out what dose will work best for children and whether there are dangerous side effects. About 600 children and teenagers are participating in a nationwide test of the swine flu vaccine that started in August, but results aren't out yet. That test will also help determine if children will need two doses to gain immunity. The presumption is that they will, Shute writes, since that's been the case when children get a seasonal flu vaccine for the first time. Read more.

Find out what parents should know about swine flu shots, and consider these 5 ways college students can protect themselves from swine flu.

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