Breast Cancer

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Breast Cancer: Fast Facts

• Breast cancer ranks as the most common form of cancer and second-leading cause of cancer death among women in the United States.
• Breast cancer can occur in any breast tissue, including the cells that produce milk (called lobular carcinoma) and the ducts that carry milk to the nipple (called ductal carcinoma). Although ductal breast cancer is the most common form, researchers have observed that cases of the less-common lobular cancer have been steadily rising.

Read more about breast-cancer prevention, symptoms and treatment options at the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance. »

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Breast Cancer: Some of Our Key Research   

Breast cancer research has long been a strong focus at the Hutchinson Center, with a formal research program instituted in 1995. A mission of reducing breast-cancer incidence and deaths motivates today's interdisciplinary breast-cancer research program, which melds researchers with diverse interests from the Hutchinson Center, the University of Washington and the clinical community. Read about what's going on in the Breast Cancer Research Program. »

Refining breast-cancer detection
Since 2002, Dr. Nicole Urban and colleagues have led a multi-institutional Breast Cancer Center of Excellence project, funded by the Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program, which is aimed at developing a blood test that can be used with mammography to improve early detection of breast cancer. The researchers are evaluating whether tests based on certain breast-cancer biomarkers—substances in the blood that are detected in higher- or lower-than-normal amounts in women with the disease—may help to identify aggressive forms of breast cancer that mammograms don't spot. Researchers are also looking at whether combining biomarkers together in a panel will increase their ability to detect different types of malignant and pre-malignant breast cancer. Learn more about the early-detection study or about the Breast Cancer Biomarkers research project. »

Leading international breast-cancer research
The Hutchinson Center and Susan G. Komen for the Cure lead the Breast Health Global Initiative, an alliance founded in 2002 and composed of a strategic mix of internationally-focused health care organizations. The BHGI has released numerous sets of guidelines, including, in October 2008, a document detailing how low- and middle-income countries should implement breast-cancer programs to detect and treat the most common disease among women worldwide. Dr. Benjamin Anderson, the BHGI's director, said this publication is intented to assist policymakers in such nations, where breast-cancer fatality rates are higher because, due to limited resources for early detection, women are generally diagnosed when their cancer has already progressed. Read more about the breast-health guidelines. »

Investigating breast-cancer risk factors

• Combined hormone-replacement therapy: Postmenopausal women who take combined estrogen/progestin hormone-replacement therapy for at least three years are four times more likely to develop various forms of lobular breast cancer, according to findings by Dr. Christopher Li and colleagues. The study, which was the largest of its kind, confirmed previous reports of the association between combined hormone-therapy use and increased risk of lobular breast cancers. Learn more. »
  
  
• Exercise and weight: Dr. Anne McTiernan and colleagues have found that postmenopausal women who keep their weight in check and exercise regularly have a significantly lower risk of developing breast cancer. The multicenter study, part of a long-term national study called the Women's Health Initiative, found that women who had the lowest body-mass index and the highest physical-activity levels also had the lowest levels of sex hormones that can fuel breast-cancer growth. Learn more. »
  
  
• Wine consumption: Previous studies have provided evidence that red wine has beneficial effects in patients with prostate cancer or heart disease, but a study led by Dr. Polly Newcomb found that both red and white wine are equal offenders when it comes to increasing breast-cancer risk. The researchers found that women who consumed 14 or more drinks per week, regardless of the type (wine, liquor or beer), faced a 24 percent increase in breast cancer compared with non-drinkers. Learn more. »
  
  
• Genetic susceptibility: A multicenter research study painted one of the clearest pictures yet of mutations in genes that indicate susceptibility to breast cancer—findings that could help identify women who would benefit from genetic testing. The comprehensive study tracked the prevalence of mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes in African-American and Caucasian women and examined factors, such as age at breast-cancer diagnosis, that predict the likelihood of such mutations. Learn more. »
  
  
• Smoking: Older women who have smoked for 11 or more "pack years"—the lifetime equivalent of a pack a day for at least 11 years—face a 30 to 40 percent increased risk of developing breast cancer as compared to women who've never smoked, according to a study by Dr. Christopher Li and colleagues. What's more, the study found that long-term smokers who also take combination hormone-replacement therapy increase their odds of getting breast cancer by 110 percent. Learn more. »
  
  
• Breast density: A study co-authored by Dr. Emily White found that women with dense breasts—that is, containing less fatty tissue—were more likely to develop breast cancer than those with less-dense breasts. The findings, which were based on data collected from more than 1 million women, suggest that a woman’s breast density is nearly as important as her age in determining her risk of developing the disease. Learn more. »
  
  
• Fetal cells: Drs. V.K. Gadi and J. Lee Nelson led a study that found cells from a fetus that persist in a woman's body long after pregnancy - a common occurrence known in scientific circles as fetal microchimerism – is associated with a reduction in a woman's risk of breast cancer. Learn more. »
  
  
• Birth control pills: Taking oral contraceptives for a year or more may increase a woman's risk of developing a rare breast-cancer type known as triple-negative breast-cancer. The study, led by Dr. Kathi Malone, found that women 40 and under faced a 4.2-times greater risk of developing the disease. Using contraceptives for a longer period of time and starting use at an early age further increased this risk. Learn more. »

Predicting breast cancer's course

• Our researchers have identified two proteins in the blood that could help doctors to better predict breast-cancer patients' long-term odds of survival. Elevated levels of those substances—C-reactive protein (CRP) and serum amyloid A (SAA)—were associated with reduced overall breast-cancer survival, regardless of a patient's age, tumor stage, race and body mass index, according to a study by Dr. Cornelia Ulrich and colleagues. These markers are associated with chronic inflammation, which is known to contribute to cancer development and progression. Learn more. »
  
  
• A study led by Dr. Peggy Porter and colleagues confirmed for the first time that low levels of a certain protein in breast-cancer tumor cells are associated with poorer chances of surviving the disease. More than a decade before these findings, the same researchers had identified that the same protein, called p27, prevents cells from dividing. Learn more. »
  
  
• Women with invasive breast cancer and high blood levels of C-peptide, a marker of insulin secretion often associated with obesity and overweight, are three times more likely to die from the disease than women with lower levels of C-peptide, according to a study co-led by Dr. Anne McTiernan. The findings come from the Health, Eating, Activity and Lifestyle (HEAL) Study, a long-term, multi-center observation of breast-cancer patients. Learn more. »
  
  
• Breast-cancer patients younger than 45 who later have children are no more likely to die of the disease than patients who do not bear children, according to a study led by Dr. Beth Mueller. The findings are consistent with previous analyses in Scandinavia. Learn more. »

Find out more about our breast-cancer investigators:
Robyn Andersen » Benjamin Anderson » William Bensinger » Janet Daling » Mary Disis » Peter Eby » V.K. Gadi » Julie Gralow » Johanna Lampe » Constance Lehman » Christopher Li » Kathleen Malone »	Bonnie McGregor » Anne McTiernan » Beth Mueller » Polly Newcomb » Ulrike Peters » Peggy Porter » Ross Prentice » Stanley Riddell » David Thomas » Cornelia Ulrich » Emily White »

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• Every advance in cancer treatment in recent years has come out of clinical trials that test innovative medical approaches on patients. Find out more about clinical trials on breast cancer. »

• The Hutchinson Center also conducts ongoing cancer-prevention studies that depend on participation of healthy volunteers. Learn more about getting involved in research studies. » 

• In need of medical attention for breast cancer? Visit the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance to get help. »

• The Hutchinson Center is on a mission to eliminate cancer and related diseases as causes of human suffering and death, and you can help. Make a gift today. »

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	Recent Findings