The American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO) and Imaginis Corporation announced today a Web agreement that will provide radiation technologists, therapists, and oncologists with access to extensive information on women's cancers and health conditions. ASTRO is providing a dynamic link from its patient education Web site, www.rtanswers.org, to the Imaginis Web site, www.imaginis.com, expanding the outreach Imaginis has with the public interested in breast cancer and other women's health topics. The agreement demonstrates how the medical field is improving patient education with credible information that is easy to understand.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved a test to predict the likelihood that breast cancer will return five to 10 years after the initial diagnosis. MammaPrint, made by a Netherlands-based company, is the first FDA-approved test to use molecular technology to predict whether an existing cancer will spread to other parts of the body. However, the FDA cautions that the test is more accurate at predicting which women will not experience a breast cancer recurrence rather than which women will.

Research has shown that five years is the optimal amount of time to take tamoxifen to help treat breast cancer and prevent its recurrence, but a new study from Ireland finds that many women stop taking tamoxifen early. The study showed that after one year of treatment, over 22% of women in an Irish study had discontinued tamoxifen. After 3.5 years, over one-third had stopped taking the drug. Past studies have shown that many women stop taking tamoxifen due to side effects. However, the researchers caution that tamoxifen is most effective when taken for five years. They believe that effective strategies are needed to reduce side effects and noncompliance. They also suggest that their study results have implications for patient compliance with other oral medications.

A new "position statement" from the North American Menopause Society discusses the benefits and risks of using hormone replacement therapy (HRT), noting that HRT may be safer for younger menopausal women with severe menopausal symptoms. In recent years, women have been bombarded with messages that HRT can cause breast cancer. However, the Society notes that a large government study that has been the focus of many of the warnings about HRT was conducted with older women-average age 63-whereas most women enter menopause between ages 45-55. While the Society did not develop any specific guidelines for HRT use, it argues that little research has been conducted on younger menopausal women.