Women who get breast cancer before the age of 40 tend to develop more aggressive tumors that are harder to treat. Using chemotherapy in some of these younger patients, however, may not provide much benefit to their survival, according to a study from researchers at Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands. Opting for other treatments, such as those that stop tumor cells from responding to estrogen may end up being more effective for this group of patients.

The FDA, after a priority rapid review, approved a new drug for the treatment of advanced breast cancer. This drug will benefit women whose cancer has spread (metastasized) as well as women with localized breast tumors that have become resistant to standard treatments.

The study showed that the new drug, Ixempra, stopped tumor growth when combined with another standard anti-cancer drug treatment, Xeloda. Even when given alone, however, Ixempra shrunk breast tumors in 12% of the patients.

An independent panel of leading cancer clinicians was brought together to evaluate and summarize the cancer risks for women taking hormone replacement therapy (HRT).

Health risks associated with HRT came to public attention in 2002. A widely publicized report linked the common menopause treatments (estrogen and progestin pills) with an increased risk for heart disease, stroke and breast cancer in some women.

Since then, there has been much debate about the value and potential hazards of taking hormones for alleviating menopausal symptoms.

In a University of Arizona analysis of more than 25,000 women with breast cancer, researchers found that Hispanic women were more likely than their white female counterparts to develop advanced breast cancer. Hispanic women also had larger tumors and a higher rate of metastasis to lymph nodes at the time of diagnosis.

Breast cancer survivor Judy, shares advice for other women diagnosed.

Statisticians have come up with a new and more accurate way to determine whether an African American woman is at risk for developing breast cancer. Researchers from the National Cancer Institute found that previous risk assessment tools for breast cancer, based on only large groups of white women, actually underestimated the risk for African American women.

The new analysis, called CARE, checked three factors to determine risk for breast cancer in African American women:

•Age at first menstrual cycle
•Family history of breast cancer (mother or sisters)

The rate of women developing breast cancer in the U.S. dropped 6.7% in 2003. Similar reports have come from Australia and Germany. Some researchers believe the unusual drop is related to the decreased use of hormone replacement therapy.

Listen to Dr. Ramsey explain when saliva tests are affective.

Dr. Ramsey explains what perimenopause is.

Listen as Dr. Ramsey discusses what age menopause typically begins.