The National Breast Cancer Coalition Fund will award seven consumer-led grassroots advocacy organizations $25,000 or $50,000, in recognition of their strategic, high-impact programs that are addressing critical issues in the systems of research, access to quality care and public policy. Their programs will serve as models for other organizations nationwide. NBCCF seeks a wide range of nominations, and especially encourages organizations that serve diverse populations and the medically underserved to apply.

When common cancers, such as breast, lung or prostate spread, they frequently form secondary tumors, or metastases, in the spine. The American Cancer Society estimates that 30% to 70% of over half a million people who annually die of cancer, have skeletal metastases, many of which will affect the spine. As they progress, vertebral compression fractures can make it more difficult for patients to breathe, walk, eat and sleep due to pain and the unnatural curve the spine is forced into. The most aggressive of the surgical options is open spinal surgery to remove the tumor tissue. Minimally invasive spine procedures like vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty, avoid the drawbacks of open surgery, while providing spine stabilization and pain relief. In these procedures, bone cement is utilized to stabilize the frail area affected by the tumor.

The latest addition to technologies for spinal intervention is a plasma mediated device that can be used to create a space inside the vertebral body by reducing the cancerous tumor.

The results of four new studies presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) reveal advances in the field of women's cancer research. The studies touch on several aspects of the disease, including breast cancer detection, endometrial cancer treatment, and breast cancer recurrence. The results of the study were described as promising in reducing side effects during breast cancer treatment.

Clinical trials are extremely important in discovering new techniques to fight disease. This article explains what clinical trials are; why they are important; how they are planned, approved and conducted; what types of trials exist; the benefits and risks of trials; and what patients should know before entering a clinical trial. A directory of online clinical trial listings is also available.