The American Cancer Society estimates that fewer people will die from cancer in the year 2004. According to its Cancer Facts & Figures 2004 report, the organization predicts that less people will die from lung, colon, breast, and prostate cancers. However, cancer will remain the second leading cause of death in the United States, after heart disease. The decline in cancer deaths is most likely due to improvements in cancer screening and treatment strategies.

A recent study finds that more mammograms performed in the United States are labeled as suspicious or uncertain by U.S. radiologists than by radiologists in the United Kingdom. This, in turn, leads to more unnecessary surgical breast biopsies in the United States, according to the study results. There are several possible reasons for the higher number of recalled mammograms in the United States, including fear of malpractice in the U.S. and more specialization among radiologists in the U.K.

A small study shows that the drug Aromasin (genetic name, exemestane) may be effective at treating women with advanced breast cancer. In a recent study, advanced breast cancer patients were given either Aromasin or the standard breast cancer drug, tamoxifen. Patients on Aromasin fared better in terms of disease improvement or stability compared to those who were given tamoxifen. Though the study was not designed to determine whether Aromasin is more effective than tamoxifen, the results show that Aromasin may be a viable option for women with advanced breast cancer.

A new study finds that women who carry a mutated form of the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene are at significantly higher risk of developing breast cancer, compared to other women. Mutations of these genes account for only 5% to 10% of breast cancer cases. Therefore, while the number of affected women remains relatively small, the study found that young women (under age 50) with the mutated genes face an even higher risk of breast cancer, compared to previous generations of women who carry these genetic abnormalities. Women who know they carry mutated BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes are encouraged to receive regular breast cancer screening exams and talk to their physicians about preventive options, such as the drug tamoxifen or, in some cases, mastectomy.

Breast reconstruction is a surgical procedure to rebuild the contour of the breast, along with the nipple and areola (the pigmented area surrounding the nipple) if desired. There are several breast reconstruction options available to women who have their breasts removed for cancer treatment (mastectomy). This article discusses breast reconstruction in detail. Topics include: types of breast reconstruction, side effects and possible complications, finding a plastic surgeon, advantages and disadvantages to breast reconstruction, breast imaging after reconstruction, the ban on silicone implants, and more.