Keep abreast of what your patients are currently seeing in the media with our round-up of popular news stories, available from WHF as abstracts with links to the full-text articles.

From the week of December 17, 2007:

Key Breast Cancer Finding: Discovery of Predictor Could Help Thousands Avoid Needless Treatment

Researchers from San Francisco presented the findings of their study on precancerous breast tumors and their progression to cancer at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium last week. They believe that have found a molecular profile that can distinguish between lethal and non-life-threatening cases of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). This advancement will help doctors predict which precancerous breast tumors will progress to the more life-threatening cancer that can spread throughout the body. This research finding has the ability to save women from unnecessary treatments that are often debilitating, both mentally and emotionally.

Read the full story on chicagotribune.com

Study: More Women Dying From COPD Than Men

COPD, a disease of the airways and lungs, has long been stereotyped as a man’s disease, generally associated with elderly men. However, studies show that in the last 10 years more women than men have died each year from COPD. The false assumption that men are more prone to developing COPD leads many doctors to miss COPD diagnoses of women. Although COPD is most often associated with cigarette smoking, environmental pollution can also be a cause. Researchers caution women who have difficulty breathing or a chronic cough to ask their healthcare practitioners to perform breathing tests designed to diagnose COPD.

Read the full story on cbsnews.com

Can a 'Fertility Diet' Get You Pregnant?

Harvard Medical School researchers claim in a new book, The Fertility Diet, that a change in diet can impact a woman’s chances of getting pregnant. Recommendations include eating more fruits and vegetables and more healthy fats, while cutting back on meat and "bad" carbohydrates and eliminating trans fat. Although these recommendations are not new, the association with Harvard has created a buzz around the book. Critics point out many limitations to the study but acknowledge that improving the diet is always a good way to bolster health.

Read the full story on nytimes.com

Bone Density Tests Do Predict Women's Fracture Risk

After the largest and longest prospective study of osteoporosis to date, researchers have announced that there is bone mineral density test that can predict a woman’s chance of spinal fracture for the next 15 years of her life. They also found that women who had suffered one spinal fracture had four times the risk of a repeated fracture. Study authors emphasize that women must be proactive about bone health and can minimize their chance of fracture by discussing risk factors for osteoporosis with their healthcare practitioners. A bone density test is recommended for women over the age of 50.

Read the full story on washingtonpost.com