Journal of the National Cancer Institute
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J. Natl. Cancer Inst. · May 2006
Multicenter StudyStatin use and breast cancer: prospective results from the Women's Health Initiative.
Despite experimental observations suggesting that 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A inhibitors (statins) have antitumor activity, clinical studies have reached mixed conclusions about the relationship between statin use and breast cancer risk. ⋯ Overall statin use was not associated with invasive breast cancer incidence. Our finding that use of hydrophobic statins may be associated with lower breast cancer incidence suggests possible within-class differences that warrant further evaluation.
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J. Natl. Cancer Inst. · May 2006
Comparative StudyEffectiveness of radiation therapy for older women with early breast cancer.
Recent clinical trials have questioned the necessity of breast radiation therapy for older women with early breast cancer. However, the effectiveness of radiation therapy for older women in the community setting has not been addressed. ⋯ For older women with early breast cancer, radiation therapy was associated with a lower risk of a second ipsilateral breast cancer and subsequent mastectomy. Patients aged 70-79 years with minimal comorbidity were the most likely to benefit, and older patients with substantial comorbidity were least likely to benefit.
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Few studies have directly measured the age-, sex-, and race-specific risks of lung cancer incidence and mortality among never tobacco smokers. Such data are needed to quantify the risks associated with smoking and to understand racial and sex disparities and temporal trends that are due to factors other than active smoking. ⋯ Contrary to clinical perception, the lung cancer death rate is not higher in female than in male never smokers and shows little evidence of having increased over time in the absence of smoking. Factors that affect the interpretation of lung cancer trends are discussed. Our novel finding that lung cancer mortality is higher among African American than white women never smokers should be confirmed in other studies.
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J. Natl. Cancer Inst. · May 2006
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyRandomized multicenter trial of sentinel node biopsy versus standard axillary treatment in operable breast cancer: the ALMANAC Trial.
Sentinel lymph node biopsy in women with operable breast cancer is routinely used in some countries for staging the axilla despite limited data from randomized trials on morbidity and mortality outcomes. We conducted a multicenter randomized trial to compare quality-of-life outcomes between patients with clinically node-negative invasive breast cancer who received sentinel lymph node biopsy and patients who received standard axillary treatment. ⋯ Sentinel lymph node biopsy is associated with reduced arm morbidity and better quality of life than standard axillary treatment and should be the treatment of choice for patients who have early-stage breast cancer with clinically negative nodes.