In September, a 36-year-old Swedish woman became the first ever to give birth from a transplanted womb. A new paper published in The Lancet provides a “proof of concept” report on the case. “Absolute uterine factor infertility” is the only type of female infertility still considered to be untreatable. This condition is often a consequence of […]
New Estrogen-Related Breast Cancer Mechanism Detected
A previously unknown breast cancer-enabling mechanism has been discovered by researchers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The team’s findings are published in the journal Oncogene. The unfolded-protein response (UPR) pathway protects cells from stress and initiates the production of “chaperone proteins.” These proteins fold and package other proteins, preparing cells to divide and grow. Because these […]
Study Shows Adding Chemotherapy To Radiation Treatment Not Effective In Treating Vulvar Cancer
The addition of chemotherapy to post-surgical radiation treatment is not effective in treating vulvar cancer, according to Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC research presented this week in San Francisco at the 56th annual meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO). Vulvar cancer is extremely rare, accounting for just 4 percent of gynecologic cancers and 0.6 percent of cancers women […]
Researchers Shed Light On How Breast Implants May Cause Rare Lymphoma
Breast augmentation was the most commonly performed cosmetic surgical procedure in the US last year, with around 290,000 women receiving either silicone or saline breast implants. Although extremely rare, some patients who have had this procedure develop a blood cancer called anaplastic large cell lymphoma. Now, a new study has shed light on why this […]
The Sound Of A Ticking Clock Can Speed Up A Woman’s Attitude On Reproductive Timing
The metaphor of a ticking clock is often used to refer to a woman’s growing urge – from puberty onwards to menopause – to conceive before her childbearing years are over. New research in Springer’s journal Human Nature shows that there’s more truth to this phrase than you might think. The subtle sound of a ticking clock can quite literally speed […]
Semi-Soft Vaginal Drug-Delivery Suppository Could Limit The Spread Of HIV, AIDS
A unique method for delivering compounds that could positively impact the global battle against HIV and AIDS may be possible, thanks to researchers in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences. A semi-soft vaginal suppository made from the seaweed-derived food ingredient carrageenan and loaded with the antiviral drug Tenofovir provides a woman-initiated, drug-delivery vehicle that can protect against the spread […]
Injectable Contraceptive Launched In West African Nation, Burkina Faso
Women in the West African nation Burkina Faso today have access to an additional family planning option. Sayana® Press has the potential to increase access to contraception at all levels of the health system and in communities by combining a lower-dose formulation of a widely used Injectable Contraceptive – Pfizer’s Depo-Provera® (depot medroxyprogesterone acetate) – […]
Contraceptive Coverage In The Affordable Care Act Will Benefit Women
Women will benefit greatly from the Affordable Care Act’s mandate for contraceptive coverage, according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers. The Affordable Care Act requires private insurance plans – except those grandfathered or exempted due to employers’ religious beliefs – to provide women with access to all FDA-approved contraceptive methods without cost-sharing. This first-dollar coverage “has […]
Avastin Approved By The FDA To Treat Patients With Aggressive And Late-Stage Cervical Cancer
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved a new use for Avastin (bevacizumab) to treat patients with persistent, recurrent or late-stage (metastatic) cervical cancer. Cervical cancer grows in the tissues of the lower part of the uterus known as the cervix. It commonly occurs when human papillomaviruses (HPV), a virus that spreads through sexual contact, […]
Research Shows Postmenopausal Breast Cancer Risk Decreases Rapidly After Starting Regular Physical Activity
Postmenopausal women who in the past four years had undertaken regular physical activity equivalent to at least four hours of walking per week had a lower risk for invasive breast cancer compared with women who exercised less during those four years, according to data published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for […]
