Women have a new option to help them perform their monthly breast self-exams. The Breast Check Self-Examination Kit, recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is a device that increases touch sensitivity to help women better feel for lumps or abnormalities in their breasts. Performing monthly breast self-exams can help women more readily detect any changes that may occur and bring those changes to the attention of their physicians.

In June 2007, the Gynecologic Cancer Foundation, the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists, and American Cancer Society released a the first-ever consensus statement on symptoms of ovarian cancer. The statement provides an agreement on symptoms commonly associated with ovarian cancer. Those symptoms include bloating, pelvic or abdominal pain, difficulty eating or feeling full quickly, and urinary symptoms (urgency or frequency). Women who experience one or more of these symptoms on a persist basis should contact their physicians for follow up.

Researchers are investigating whether digital mammography may detect breast cancer more accurately than standard film-based mammography in certain women. A large study is currently underway to compare digital and standard mammography in nearly 50,000 women with no signs or symptoms of breast cancer. Preliminary results of the study have shown that women with dense breasts, those who are pre- or perimenopausal (women who had a last menstrual period within 12 months of their mammograms), or those who are younger than age 50 may benefit from having a digital rather than a film mammogram.

Though far less common than in women, it is possible for men to develop breast cancer. The American Cancer Society estimates that about 1,450 new cases of invasive breast cancer are diagnosed in men each year and approximately 470 men die from breast cancer annually. This article discusses the symptoms, types, risk factors, treatment options, and survival rates of male breast cancer.