In recent studies, several drugs have shown promise in helping to
protect women against breast cancer. In 1998, the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project's Breast Cancer Prevention Trial found that the drug tamoxifen (brand name, Nolvadex) reduced the risk of breast cancer in women who were at high risk of the disease by up to 49%. Both tamoxifen and a newer drug raloxifene (brand name, Evista) are "anti-estrogens." Anti-estrogens work by competing with estrogen to bind and block estrogen receptors in breast cancer cells. By blocking estrogen in the breast, tamoxifen and raloxifene may slow the growth and
reproduction of breast cancer cells.

In January 2005, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of the drug, Abraxane to help treat women with advanced, metastatic breast cancer -the type of cancer that has spread past the breast and lymph nodes to other areas of the body. The drug can be used in women who have been unsuccessfully treatment with combination chemotherapy or who have relapsed within 6 months of chemotherapy. Abraxane is a new form of the drug, Taxol (generic name, paclitaxel) that may have fewer side effects.

The appearance of a breast lump, nipple discharge, or other worrisome breast change can be particularly stressful for a pregnant woman. This newly updated article give the facts about breast abnormalities and cancer during pregnancy. Specific topics include breast changes during pregnancy and breast-feeding, breast health guidelines during pregnancy, evaluating a breast abnormality during pregnancy or breast-feeding, dealing with a breast cancer diagnosis during pregnancy, and pregnancy
after breast cancer.

A benign breast condition is any non-cancerous breast abnormality. Approximately nine out of 10 women have at least one benign breast condition at some point during their lifetime. Some conditions, such as atypical hyperplasia or lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS), increase the risk for breast cancer. Other conditions, such as cysts or fibroadenomas, do not. This completely revised and updated article discusses several benign breast conditions and provides information on how they are diagnosed and treated. Topics include nipple discharge, LCIS, fibrocystic breasts, cysts, galactoceles, fibroadenomas, phyllodes tumors, papillomas, duct ectasia, fat necrosis, mastitis, and more.