A large-scale effort to identify genetic markers of breast cancer has identified two new genetic variants that increase the risk of breast cancer among women of European ancestry. These results were published in Nature Genetics.

Nearly 20% of women who would benefit from post-mastectomy radiation therapy (PMRT) are not receiving the treatment, according to the results of a study published in Cancer.

Individuals who drink scalding hot tea may have as much as eight times the risk of developing esophageal cancer compared with individuals who consume their tea warm or lukewarm. The results of this study were published in the British Medical Journal.

Among patients with bone metastases and high levels of bone resorption in spite of treatment with a bisphosphonate drug, bone resorption was reduced to a greater extent among those treated with the investigational drug denosumab than among those who continued bisphosphonate therapy. The results of this Phase II clinical trial were published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

According to the results of a study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, use of individual beta-carotene, retinol, or lutein supplements is linked with an increased risk of lung cancer.

As the month of April brings cancer control into focus, it’s a great time to increase public understanding of screening and prevention of cancer, advances in treatment and support for cancer patients, and resources that offer updated cancer control information throughout the year.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Afinitor® oral tablets (everolimus) for the treatment of patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma that has progressed after treatment with Sutent® (sunitinib) or Nexavar® (sorafenib).

According to the results of a Phase III clinical trial, treatment with the targeted therapy Herceptin® (trastuzumab) improves survival among patients with HER2-positive, advanced and inoperable stomach cancer. These results were made available in a press release from Roche.

Among patients with locally advanced cancer of the larynx or hypopharynx, induction chemotherapy with docetaxel, cisplatin, and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) resulted in higher rates of larynx preservation than induction chemotherapy with only cisplatin and 5-FU. These results were published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

According to the results of a study published in the Archives of Surgery, pancreatic caner patients with a body mass index (BMI) greater than 35 have a greater risk of recurrence and worse survival after surgery than patients with a lower BMI.