Study Links Tamoxifen to Rare, Aggressive Second Cancer
Tamoxifen, a drug used to prevent breast cancer recurrence, may increase the odds of a more aggressive breast cancer in women who use the drug over the long term, according to a new study in the journal Cancer Research . The study involved more than 1,100 breast cancer survivors whose tumors were estrogen sensitive. Of the group, 369 women developed a new tumor in the other, healthy breast. Researchers compared them with study participants who had not developed a second cancer. They found that women who took tamoxifen for five years or more were 60 percent less likely to develop a new estrogen-sensitive type of breast cancer. Long-term users, however, were four times as likely to develop a rare, more aggressive breast cancer that is not sensitive to estrogen. The study's lead author told HealthDay News he does not think women should be afraid to take the drug, stating that its benefits outweigh its risks. Tamoxifen is customarily given only for five years because there's no evidence that longer-term use has additional benefits.
Read why tamoxifen and antidepressants don't mix and why tamoxifen doesn't always work.
Lessons From Michael Jackson's Death: 9 Ways to Cure Insomnia
Insomnia—difficulty falling or staying asleep—can wreak havoc on people's lives, U.S. News's January Payne writes. About 30 percent of adults experience some degree of insomnia at some point in their lives, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, which published guidelines for the treatment of insomnia last year in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. For most people, sleep problems are short term and go away on their own. But about 10 percent of adults have chronic insomnia, defined by sleep interruptions at least three times per week for a month or more.
Prompted by the recent finding that Michael Jackson died from a lethal dose of the anesthesia medication propofol (Diprivan), which he reportedly routinely received to treat his chronic inability to sleep, Payne lists 9 things you can do if youre battling insomnia. Because research shows that psychological and behavioral issues factor into insomnia, cognitive behavioral therapy, which attempts to change thoughts and actions that may interrupt sleep, can be a helpful tool. And the benefits last over time, research shows; even a year after therapy, most people report continuing to sleep well. Read more.
Can't sleep? Learn why insomnia shouldn't be ignored. Experts say problems sleeping can be overcome, so consider these 10 ways to get better sleep.
8 Facts to Know About Palliative Care
As the debate over healthcare reform slogs through summer, misinformation about "death panels" and the rationing of seniors' healthcare is proliferating, U.S. News's Sarah Baldauf writes. The term "palliative care" often seems synonymous with death, but the reality of what such services provide—and when they can and should be recruited—might be surprising. While death might ultimately become a part of the conversation, making use of such care is not just about dying. Baldauf reports 8 facts to know about palliative care.
Among the facts, Baldauf points out that getting palliative care does not preclude patients from getting treatment to cure illnesses or lengthen life. With nonhospice palliative care, a person living with serious illness can be given simultaneous, even aggressive, treatment for disease. Read more.
A new study finds palliative care along with usual treatment helps improve quality of life in advanced cancer patients. Find out about how and when to use palliative care.
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