FORCE's eXamining the Relevance of Articles for You (XRAY) program looks behind the headlines of cancer news to help you understand what the research means for you.
XRAY is a reliable source of hereditary cancer research-related news and information.
Learn more about the XRAY program
All XRAYs
Relevance: Medium
Strength of Science: Medium-High
Research Timeline: Human Research
Study : Hair straightening products linked to small increased risk of endometrial cancer
Relevance: Medium
Strength of Science: Medium-High
Research Timeline: Human Research
Most relevant for: People who use hair straightening products
Many people use products to straighten their hair. Use of these products, especially frequent use, is linked to a small increase in endometrial cancer. (Posted 4/18/23)
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Relevance: High
Strength of Science: Medium-High
Research Timeline: Post Approval
Study : Breast cancer outcomes improved with CDK4/6 inhibitor treatment
Relevance: High
Strength of Science: Medium-High
Research Timeline: Post Approval
Most relevant for: People with HR-positive HER2-negative advanced breast cancer
A study showed that people with metastatic breast cancer who took an oral drug known as a CDK4/6 inhibitor combined with hormone therapy did better than people who took hormone therapy alone. The drug combination improved the length of time before cancer worsened or returned. After six years of treatment, people who took this drug combination lived longer compared to those who took hormone therapy alone. (Posted 4/5/23)
Este artículo está disponible en español.
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Relevance: Medium
Strength of Science: Medium
Research Timeline: Animal Studies
Study : Weight may affect breast cancer risk in women with an inherited BRCA mutation
Relevance: Medium
Strength of Science: Medium
Research Timeline: Animal Studies
Most relevant for: People with an inherited mutation in BRCA1 or BRCA2 concerned about their breast cancer risk
A study that looked at normal breast cells from women with an inherited BRCA mutation found more DNA damage among women who were overweight (based on a measurement known as body mass index) than those who were not overweight. The results suggest that maintaining a lower weight may reduce breast cancer among this high-risk population. (Posted 3/30/23)
Este artículo está disponible en español.
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Relevance: High
Strength of Science: High
Research Timeline: Post Approval
Study : New oral drug treatment for some advanced breast cancer
Relevance: High
Strength of Science: High
Research Timeline: Post Approval
Most relevant for: People with HR-positive, HER2-negative advanced breast cancer
The FDA has approved a new oral drug called Oserdu for the treatment of HR-positive, HER2-negative advanced breast cancer. A blood test was also approved to help doctors identify patients who would benefit most from this new treatment. (Posted 3/20/23)
Este artículo está disponible en español.
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Relevance: Medium-High
Strength of Science: Medium-High
Study : Systemic racism may delay breast biopsy for Black and Asian people
Relevance: Medium-High
Strength of Science: Medium-High
Most relevant for: People who have had an abnormal mammogram
Black and Asian people are more likely to have to wait more than 90 days between an abnormal mammogram and a biopsy compared to white people. After accounting for other factors, the authors conclude that these disparities may be due to systemic racism. (Posted 3/8/23)
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Relevance: Medium-High
Strength of Science: High
Research Timeline: Human Research
Study : Promising early results for treating metastatic prostate cancer
Relevance: Medium-High
Strength of Science: High
Research Timeline: Human Research
Most relevant for: People with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC)
The TALAPRO studies looked at how well the oral drug Talzenna (talazoparib) works as a treatment for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). The addition of Talzenna to treatment with Xtandi (enzalutamide) increased the time until the cancer got worse or came back (progression-free survival). The greatest benefit was seen in people who had an inherited or tumor mutation in a gene that repairs DNA damage (such as ATM, BRCA1, BRCA2 and others). (Posted 3/1/23)
Update: On June 20, 2023, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the combination of Talzenna with Xtandi as an initial treatment for some people with mCRPC for people with inherited or tumor mutations in genes that repair DNA damage.
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Relevance: High
Strength of Science: High
Study : Treatment to reduce bone fractures also improves breast cancer survival in postmenopausal people
Relevance: High
Strength of Science: High
Most relevant for: People with early-stage breast cancer who are post-menopausal
A large study looked at the effects of adding the bone-protective drug denosumab (Prolia), to standard hormone therapy for the treatment of early-stage, postmenopausal, HR-positive breast cancer. The researchers found that adding denosumab to aromatase inhibitor hormonal therapy improved bone health, disease-free survival and overall survival. (Posted 2/27/23)
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Study : Increasing soy in your diet may lower your cancer risk
Most relevant for: People interested in reducing cancer risk
This study looked at a link between a diet rich in soy and cancer risk. With the addition of more recent literature, this study suggests that soy lowers the risk of cancer in the general population. (Posted 2/24/23)
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Relevance: Medium
Strength of Science: Medium-High
Research Timeline: Post Approval
Study : Frequent aspirin use may reduce the risk of ovarian cancer
Relevance: Medium
Strength of Science: Medium-High
Research Timeline: Post Approval
Most relevant for: Healthy people at high-risk of ovarian cancer.
Aspirin may help lower the risk of ovarian cancer in people who have a high risk of the disease, according to a new analysis of 17 studies. While other preventive strategies have been found to more effectively lower the likelihood of developing ovarian cancer in high-risk women, taking aspirin daily or almost daily may reduce a person’s risk of developing ovarian cancer by 13 percent. The benefit was greater among people with additional risk factors for the disease. (Posted 2/22/23)
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Relevance: Medium-High
Strength of Science: High
Research Timeline: Post Approval
Study : Trodelvy benefits people with advanced hormone-positive metastatic breast cancer
Relevance: Medium-High
Strength of Science: High
Research Timeline: Post Approval
Most relevant for: People with ER/PR-positive, HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer
The study TROPiCS-2 showed that the drug Trodelvy (sacituzumab govitecan) improved progression-free survival when compared to chemotherapy in people with advanced metastatic ER/PR-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer who have few other treatment options. This drug does not yet have FDA approval for use in the hormone-positive setting. (Posted 1/18/23)
Update: On 02/03/2023 the FDA approved Trodelvy for patients with locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer who have received hormonal therapy and at least two other types of treatment in the metastatic setting.
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