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: High
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Strength of Science: Medium-High
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Research Timeline: Post Approval
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Study : Patient experiences with genetic testing
Relevance: High
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Strength of Science: Medium-High
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Research Timeline: Post Approval
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Most relevant for: Women diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer
Patients can now find out if they have a mutation in more than 20 different genes that are associated with cancer risk, thanks to research advances and the decreasing cost of genetic testing. However, patients’ experiences and use of genetic counseling and testing with these changes are unknown. Do patients want genetic testing? Are they getting tested? (3/7/17)
Read More![](https://www.facingourrisk.org/cdn-cgi/image/width=400,height=400,fit=contain,format=webp/uploads/assets/xray/breast-cancer-and-genetic-testing.jpg)
Relevance: Medium-High
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Strength of Science: Medium
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Research Timeline: Human Research
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Study : Research suggests exercise is safe for breast cancer patients at risk for lymphedema
Relevance: Medium-High
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Strength of Science: Medium
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Research Timeline: Human Research
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Most relevant for: People with, or at high risk for lymphedema after breast cancer
Patients and health care providers are often concerned about how exercise affects lymphedema (swelling in the arm or hand) in breast cancer survivors or other women who have had lymph node biopsy at the time of mastectomy. Research on this topic has been mixed. A new study suggests that exercise after breast cancer treatment does not lead to lymphedema or worsen existing lymphedema. However, because this study was small, more work needs to be done to understand the relationship between exercise and lymphedema in cancer survivors. (2/22/17)
Read More![](https://www.facingourrisk.org/cdn-cgi/image/width=400,height=400,fit=contain,format=webp/uploads/assets/xray/61d45aeba8ef9.jpg)
Relevance: Medium-Low
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Strength of Science: Medium-High
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Research Timeline: Lab Research
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Study : Hot chili pepper component slows growth and kills laboratory-grown breast cancer cells
Relevance: Medium-Low
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Strength of Science: Medium-High
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Research Timeline: Lab Research
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Most relevant for: This research is not relevant to people yet
Finding new treatments that target triple-negative breast cancer is an area of great interest. An early step in developing these treatments is learning more about the biology of tumor in the laboratory. This study looked at how capsaicin, the spicy component of chili peppers, might work with a protein found in many cancers, including triple-negative breast cancer, to stop cancer cell growth. This is the first step in a long process towards developing new treatments for triple-negative breast cancer. (2/14/17)
Read More![](https://www.facingourrisk.org/cdn-cgi/image/width=400,height=400,fit=contain,format=webp/uploads/assets/xray/hot-chili-pepper.jpg)
Relevance: Medium-High
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Strength of Science: Medium-High
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Research Timeline: Post Approval
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Study : A step in the development of a new breast cancer risk assessment tool for Hispanic women
Relevance: Medium-High
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Strength of Science: Medium-High
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Research Timeline: Post Approval
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Most relevant for: Hispanic women
Current tools used to calculate breast cancer risk make their estimations based on data from non-Hispanic white women and may not accurately predict breast cancer risk in women of other races and ethnicities. With further testing, a new risk assessment tool developed specifically for Hispanic women could more accurately predict breast cancer risk in women who do not have mutations in BRCA or other genes associated with hereditary breast cancer. (02/07/17)
Read More![](https://www.facingourrisk.org/cdn-cgi/image/width=400,height=400,fit=contain,format=webp/uploads/assets/xray/New-Risk-Assessment-Tool.jpg)
Study : “Chemobrain” seen in breast cancer patients up to six months after treatment
Most relevant for: People diagnosed with breast cancer who have or will be treated with chemotherapy
Many people report memory or concentration problems, commonly known as “chemobrain,” during and after cancer treatment. New research shows that for some breast cancer patients these issues continue 6 months after treatment. Documentation of this well-known effect is a crucial first step in developing ways to limit and treat it. (02/02/17)
Read More![](https://www.facingourrisk.org/cdn-cgi/image/width=400,height=400,fit=contain,format=webp/uploads/assets/xray/chemobrain.jpg)
Relevance: Medium-High
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Strength of Science: Medium
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Research Timeline: Human Research
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Study : Does prior antidepressant use affect the treatment breast cancer patients receive?
Relevance: Medium-High
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Strength of Science: Medium
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Research Timeline: Human Research
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Most relevant for: Women diagnosed with breast cancer who have received antidepressants
Previous research found an association between depression and survival in breast cancer patients, but the reasons for this association are unclear. Researchers in this study found that women who had been previously prescribed antidepressants were less likely to receive breast cancer treatment that followed national guidelines than those who had not. Although the difference was small, it underscores the need for patients to discuss any history of depression with their health care providers. (1/24/17)
Read More![](https://www.facingourrisk.org/cdn-cgi/image/width=400,height=400,fit=contain,format=webp/uploads/assets/xray/antidepressants-breast-cancer.jpg)
Relevance: Medium-High
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Strength of Science: Medium
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Study : Women with breast cancer symptoms but no lump may wait longer to seek medical care
Relevance: Medium-High
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Strength of Science: Medium
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Most relevant for: People with breast cancer symptoms
Some patients take longer than others before getting a potential breast cancer checked by their health care provider. Believing that women who have breast cancer symptoms but have no lump may wait longer, researchers in this study used data from women who were diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009 and 2010 to identify possible explanations. (1/18/17)
Read More![](https://www.facingourrisk.org/cdn-cgi/image/width=400,height=400,fit=contain,format=webp/uploads/assets/xray/breast-cancer-symptoms.jpg)
Relevance: Medium-High
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Strength of Science: Medium
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Research Timeline: Human Research
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Study : High vitamin D levels at breast cancer diagnosis may be associated with a better prognosis
Relevance: Medium-High
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Strength of Science: Medium
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Research Timeline: Human Research
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Most relevant for: Women at average risk for breast cancer and newly diagnosed women
Vitamin D is most known for its role in maintaining bone health but vitamin D has additional roles in keeping us healthy. In this study, researchers found that breast cancer patients who had the highest amounts of vitamin D in their blood (slightly over the recommended levels) had better health outcomes, including overall survival, than women with lower amounts of vitamin D. This finding adds to the growing evidence for the role of vitamin D in cancer, but it does not change how breast cancer is prevented or treated. (1/10/17)
Read More![](https://www.facingourrisk.org/cdn-cgi/image/width=400,height=400,fit=contain,format=webp/uploads/assets/xray/Vitamin-D-and-Prognosis.jpg)
Study : Angelina Jolie spoke out on BRCA testing: Did genetic testing increase?
Most relevant for: People interested in genetic testing for an inherited mutation
Angelina Jolie published an editorial in the New York Times in 2013 about her choice to have a double mastectomy after finding out she was positive for a BRCA1 mutation. Researchers from a recent study claim that her celebrity endorsement of BRCA testing may have missed its target audience (previvors), due to the increase in BRCA testing following publication of the editorial but a decrease in the number of mastectomies performed. However, the study failed to take into account that many women without breast cancer do not pursue mastectomy in the months following genetic testing. (1/4/17)
Read More![](https://www.facingourrisk.org/cdn-cgi/image/width=400,height=400,fit=contain,format=webp/uploads/assets/xray/Screen Shot 2018-02-02 at 5.01.19 PM.png)
Article : After mastectomy: reconstruct or not?
Most relevant for: Woman who are facing mastectomy
Today, more women know they can have breast reconstruction after removing their breasts for cancer treatment or risk reduction. But what about choosing not to undergo reconstruction? Roni Caryn Rabin writes about the experiences of women who decide against reconstruction in her New York Times piece “‘Going Flat’ After Breast Cancer.” (12/14/16)
Read More![](https://www.facingourrisk.org/cdn-cgi/image/width=400,height=400,fit=contain,format=webp/uploads/assets/xray/Reconstruction-after-masectomy.jpg)