Currently, mammography is the only exam approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to screen for breast cancer in women with no signs of breast cancer. However, ultrasound (also called sonography) may also be useful in detecting breast cancer, according to a new study. The study found that in women with dense breast tissue, ultrasound found a significant number of cancers in patients whose mammograms appeared normal. While the researchers are not recommending that ultrasound in any way replace mammography, they do say that ultrasound appears to be a helpful screening tool for these women when performed in conjunction with mammography.

Alcohol increases the risk of breast cancer, but smoking does not affect a woman's chances of developing the disease, according to a recent analysis. Researchers used data from 53 studies of 150,000 women from around the world to reach their conclusions. This report confirms previous findings that alcohol consumption seems to be a preventable risk factor for breast cancer. While smoking was not found to increase breast cancer risk, tobacco has been linked to several other serious diseases, including lung cancer and heart disease.

The presence of a particular type of immune cell can predict how long patients with ovarian cancer will remain cancer-free after chemotherapy and helps determine their overall chances of survival, according to research led by the laboratory of George Coukos, MD, PhD of the University of Pennsylvania. This research marks the first time researchers have found that a spontaneous immune response against cancer influences the course of the disease. Dr. Coukos and colleagues hope to develop individualized treatments based on this information to improve
the outcome for ovarian cancer patients.

A recent study found that breast cancer treatment and survival rates in developing countries depend greatly on a woman's socio-economic status. In a study of women from Pakistan, researchers found that those from higher income families generally receive adequate treatment and have good chances of surviving breast cancer, while poorer women often do not seek treatment out of fear of physical/emotion repercussions from their families, poor advice from local physicians, or other factors. The study found that treatment and survival were much lower among poor Pakistani women, underscoring the need for greater healthcare education and
improved access to quality treatment for these women.

Myriad Genetics recently became the first company to begin actively advertising their service of genetic testing. The company manufacturers a test that allows women to learn if they carry mutations of BRCA1 (breast cancer gene 1) or BRCA2 (breast cancer gene 2), which can significantly increase their risk of both breast cancer and ovarian cancer. Experts say this could be the beginning of increased advertising for healthcare services such as genetic testing as science becomes more advanced. They also worry that the advertising could mislead many women into thinking they need to undergo the controversial genetic testing.