Cancer research is probably the most important light that lights up hope in the heart of every patient and survivor alike. Doctors and researchers at hospitals and medical centers all across the country are learning more about what causes breast cancer and exploring ways to prevent it.

Clinical Trials

Studies of new approaches for patients with all stages of breast cancer are constantly under way. Research has led to significant advances in the treatment of breast cancer, and researchers continue to search for more effective ways to treat this disease. They are also exploring ways to reduce the side effects of treatment and improve the quality of patients' lives. When laboratory research shows that a new treatment method has a promise, cancer patients receive the treatment in studies called clinical trials. These studies are designed to answer important questions and to find out whether the new approach is both safe and effective- these clinical trials compare a new treatment with a standard approach. Patients who take part in clinical trials may have the first chance to benefit from improved treatment methods, making an important contribution to medical science as well as the future of fellow patients and survivors.
There have been several important approaches and experiments that are being carried out in a hope to symptom manage and treat a typical sort of cancer. This section will bring constant updates on new procedures for management and cure of breast cancer.

• A new procedure, sentinel node biopsy, may eventually reduce the number of lymph nodes that need to be removed for biopsy and possibly prevent or lessen the severity of lymph edema.
• Researchers are also testing new chemotherapy doses and treatment schedules; the effectiveness of using chemotherapy before surgery -called neo-adjuvant chemotherapy; and new ways of combining treatments, such as adding hormonal therapy or radiation therapy to chemotherapy.
• They are working with various anticancer drugs and drug combination as well as with several types of hormonal therapy. Some studies include biological therapy, treatment with substances that boost the immune system's response to cancer or help the body recover from the side effects of treatment.
• In a number of studies, doctors are trying to learn whether very high doses of anticancer drugs are most effective than the usual doses in destroying breast cancer cells. To understand this trade off is very critical as the higher doses seriously damage the patient's bone marrow, where blood cells are formed. Subsequently researchers are testing ways to replace the bone marrow in an effort to help recover. These new approaches are commonly referred to as autologous bone marrow and peripheral blood stem cell transplant.