MetaFilter posts tagged with breast

"I hope it helps you to know you have options"

restless_nomad — Mon, 13 May 2013 22:09:07 -0800

Angelina Jolie describes having a preventive double mastectomy in a NY Times op-ed. Her mother, actress Marcheline Bertrand, died of ovarian cancer at age 56, and Jolie inherited the BRCA1 gene, which carries a vastly higher risk of breast and ovarian cancers. Mastectomies, even preventive ones, are both physically and emotionally taxing. Writer Lizzie Stark had one at age 27 for the same reason as Jolie, and discussed it one year and two years later.

Gene genie, let yourself go

Blazecock Pileon — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 13:20:03 -0800

After a decade or so of legal back-and-forth between Utah-based Myriad Genetics and medical researchers, the ACLU, and the Public Patent Forum, the US Supreme Court will hear a case next week which attempts to address whether genes — isolated (derivative) or original — can be patented. The stakes are high on both sides: opponents use Myriad's actions to argue that giving short-term monopoly control over humanity's genetic constituency is not in the public interest, while proponents defend the use of patents to spur private research in biotech, alternative energy and other nascent industries.

"I want to show that you can still be beautiful or sexy with cancer."

zarq — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 12:28:16 -0800

A day before her 32nd birthday, Jill Brzezinski-Conley was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent a double mastectomy. She's now 35, and her cancer has metastasized to terminal, stage-4. Sue Bryce won Australian Portrait Photographer of the Year in both 2011 and 2012, and last year's prize was a one-person trip to Paris. After hearing her story, Bryce took Brzezinski-Conley with her to the City of Light for a photo shoot and brought along a videographer. The resulting short film: "The Light That Shines." (Also on Vimeo.) Photos. (click the open magazine at the top of the page). The video and photos both show a topless Ms. Brzezinski-Conley, and may be nsfw. Full Story: Huffington Post, Daily News Ms. Bryce describes her style as "contemporary fashion-inspired portraiture." Per Brzezinski-Conley's Facebook page, the Today Show (NBC) will be interviewing them tomorrow morning about the project.

Breast cancer rules rewritten in 'landmark' study

Blasdelb — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 00:58:09 -0800

What we currently call breast cancer should be thought of as 10 completely separate diseases, according to an international study which has been described as a "landmark". The categories could improve treatment by tailoring drugs for a patient's exact type of breast cancer and help predict survival more accurately. The study in Nature analysed breast cancers from 2,000 women [Abstract] . It will take at least three years for the findings to be used in hospitals. The genomic and transcriptomic architecture of 2,000 breast tumours reveals novel subgroups [Abstract] The elucidation of breast cancer subgroups and their molecular drivers requires integrated views of the genome and transcriptome from representative numbers of patients. We present an integrated analysis of copy number and gene expression in a discovery and validation set of 997 and 995 primary breast tumours, respectively, with long-term clinical follow-up. Inherited variants (copy number variants and single nucleotide polymorphisms) and acquired somatic copy number aberrations (CNAs) were associated with expression in ~40% of genes, with the landscape dominated by cis- and trans-acting CNAs. By delineating expression outlier genes driven in cis by CNAs, we identified putative cancer genes, including deletions in PPP2R2A, MTAP and MAP2K4. Unsupervised analysis of paired DNA–RNA profiles revealed novel subgroups with distinct clinical outcomes, which reproduced in the validation cohort. These include a high-risk, oestrogen-receptor-positive 11q13/14 cis-acting subgroup and a favourable prognosis subgroup devoid of CNAs. Trans-acting aberration hotspots were found to modulate subgroup-specific gene networks, including a TCR deletion-mediated adaptive immune response in the ‘CNA-devoid’ subgroup and a basal-specific chromosome 5 deletion-associated mitotic network. Our results provide a novel molecular stratification of the breast cancer population, derived from the impact of somatic CNAs on the transcriptome.

Florence Williams - Breasts: A Natural & Unnatural History

flex — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 16:44:00 -0800

Your Breasts Are Trying To Kill You: Slate reviews Breasts: A Natural and Unnatural History by Florence WIlliams (an edited excerpt from the book re: breast milk in The Guardian - includes breastfeeding photo). NPR interview with Williams (41 min. audio and text highlights); a brief interview with Williams in The Star and a long interview in Maclean's. A recent piece by Williams in Slate: A new set of reports shows that federal policy on chemicals testing neglects breast health. Subject found via a post on IBTP discussing the ban, and then partial retraction of that ban, on allowing breast cancer survivor Jodi Jaecks to swim topless at a Seattle public pool - includes topless photo. Some may consider the photos noted NSFW.

Extreme Breastfeeding in TIME Magazine

reenum — Sat, 12 May 2012 15:46:31 -0800

The most recent cover of Time magazine is causing a lot of controversy. The issue explores attachment parenting and its rise in popularity. Some see attachment parents as selfish, while others swear by it. Either way, attachment parenting and extreme breastfeeding are now part of the national conversation.

My breast has fallen off. Can you reattach it?

Joe in Australia — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 22:16:14 -0800

Since she is not truly an emergency patient, she is triaged to the back of the line, and other folks, those in immediate distress, get in for treatment ahead of her. She waits on a gurney in a cavernous green hallway. The “chief complaint” on her chart at Grady Memorial Hospital, in Downtown Atlanta, might have set off a wave of nausea in a hospital at a white suburb or almost any place in the civilized world. It reads, “My breast has fallen off. Can you reattach it?” (via Boing Boing) This is an extremely distressing story. Be cautious.

The French breast implant scandal

zarq — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 19:19:30 -0800

In March 2010, a pair of health inspectors responding to multiple tips paid a three-day visit to the factory headquarters of the Poly Implant Prothese (PIP) company, a leading international maker of breast implants. On their second day, the inspectors found something odd: six discarded plastic containers of Silopren, a liquid silicone designed for industrial, not medical use, lined up along the outside wall of the production site. The lead inspector estimated they had contained nearly 9 tons of liquid silicone. It now appears as if between 300,000 and 400,000 women throughout the world may have received potentially toxic, faulty breast implants containing ingredients never clinically tested on humans, manufactured and distributed by a company that knowingly deceived regulators, suppliers, distributors, medical professionals and ultimately, patients. Reuters photographer's Blog: Operating on an implant scandal. (Last link NSFW, graphic images that contain nudity.) PIP also sold chest and testicle implants for men which used the same non-medical, industrial grade silicone. Coverage from CNN, The Guardian. On February 7, 2012, BBC's Newsnight program featured a Q&A between 25 women who had been implanted with PIP breast implants and Anne Milton, a health minister for the UK coalition government. Evidence had apparently been available that PIP implants were likely defective for several years, yet the NHS had chosen not to inform patients of potential warnings. Milton stated, "The evidence to date is that they [PIP implants] are not [dangerous]." Response editorial by Naomi Wolf. There have been multiple demonstrations in London. Wikipedia's page on the company has a decent breakdown of the continuing aftermath of the scandal.

Women's Healthcare?

roomthreeseventeen — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:47:22 -0800

NPR is reporting that the Susan G. Komen foundation is severing it's ties and halting grants to Planned Parenthood, cutting off "hundreds of thousands of dollars", mainly earmarked for breast exams. Komen says the key reason is that Planned Parenthood is under investigation in Congress — a probe launched by a conservative Republican who was urged to act by anti-abortion groups. In September, 2011, Congressman Cliff Stearns (R-Fla) sent a letter to Planned Parenthood demanding: Internal audits from 1998 to 2010 showing how much federal money Planned Parenthood received and how it was spent, including if the government had to be reimbursed for improper billing to Medicaid, the federal-state healthcare program for the poor. State-level audits of the group or its affiliates going back 20 years. Policy statements that certify there is no co-mingling of federal dollars in programs that fund abortions to Planned Parenthood’s clients; Explanations that convey the group’s procedures for reporting “criminal conduct,” to include statutory rape, sexual abuse, and suspected sex trafficking. The decision to halt grants may have been made more than two months ago. The pro-life organization Life Decisions International took the Komen foundation off it's "dishonorable mention" boycott list on December 1st. Planned Parenthood said the Komen grants totaled roughly $680,000 last year and $580,000 the year before, going to at least 19 of its affiliates for breast-cancer screening and other breast-health services.

On mammograms

latkes — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 23:35:25 -0800

"I believe the time has come to realise that breast cancer screening programmes can no longer be justified ... I recommend women to do nothing apart from attending a doctor if they notice anything themselves." Peter Gøtzsche of the Cochrane Collaboration believes the evidence shows that routine breast cancer screening harms more women than it helps. This position is controversial, and making change in mammography guidelines has, historically, been difficult.

What It's Like To Get A Breast Reduction

reenum — Wed, 18 May 2011 12:29:25 -0800

A young woman writes about her breast reduction.

More Americans are Surviving Cancer

zarq — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 07:43:04 -0800

According to new data released by the CDC yesterday, more Americans are surviving cancer thanks to advances in increased early detection and treatment. CDC analysis shows an unprecedented 20% increase in survival rates between 2001 and 2007, which is nearly a quadruple increase since 1971. * One in 20 US citizens (approximately 11.7 million people) is a cancer survivor. * One in five of them are over the age of 65. * Survivors are more likely to be female than male (54% vs. 46%). * "22% of cancer survivors had been diagnosed with breast cancer; 19% with prostate cancer; and 10% with colorectal cancer. Those three cancers accounted for slightly more than half of all cancer diagnoses." From the CDC link: Similar to previous reports, this analysis found that the majority of cancer survivors are females and persons aged ≥65 years. Women are more likely to be survivors because cancers among women (e.g., breast or cervical cancer) usually occur at a younger age and can be detected early and treated successfully; in addition, women have a longer life expectancy than men. Among men, a substantial number of cancer survivors had prostate cancer, which is diagnosed more commonly among older men. The large proportion of cancer survivors aged ≥65 years reflects the increase in cancer risk with age and the fact that more persons with diagnoses of cancer are surviving ≥5 years.

Breast cell animation

Blasdelb — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 08:21:46 -0800

Etsuko Uno and metafilter's own Drew Berry have released three new animations illustrating breast stem cell differentiation, a control mechanism for the process, and how this relates to carcinogenesis. Previously

I've got a lovely pair (NSFW)

chairish — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 10:31:28 -0800

A popular New Zealand young woman's magazine's causes contoversy. [NSFW] The online magazine asked its (mainly young, female) readers to submit anonymous pictures of their breasts so that they could be viewed and rated by others. In return NZGirl would donate a sum of money to breast cancer research. The whole campaign has generated a lot of controversy as New Zealand's online community have pointed out that asking young women to post their pictures is unsafe and a gratuitous use of others' suffering. The magazine's editor defended the campaign, saying that it prompted awareness and encouraged many women to have their breasts checked. With allegations that the pictures have ended up on at least one porn site (NSFW obviously) and with pictures found elsewhere on the net the whole episode has generated huge publicity for NZGirl magazine.

"You Can't Patent Nature"

zarq — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 12:53:09 -0800

Followup to this post: A US District Court has ruled that Myriad Genetic's patents on breast cancer genes BRCA1 and BRCA2, which allow them to hold exclusive rights to a widely used genetic test for inherited breast and ovarian cancer susceptibility, are invalid. Genomics Law Report analyzes the ruling in two posts. The decision is likely to be challenged in a legal appeal — but if upheld, it could have huge implications for the biotechnology industry. Biotech stocks tumbled after the announcement. Fortune's Daily Brainstorm blog asks, "Is the DNA Patent Dead? GenomeBoy: After the Gold Rush Discover: Tuesday’s decision, if upheld, could have wide repercussions for the multi-billion dollar biotech industry, which is built on more than 40,000 gene patents. Already, about 20 percent of the human genes have been patented. The decision, however, is not binding on other federal courts and other judges may or may not abide by it. But it does the set the stage for years of litigation over other gene patents. Myriad Genetics plans to appeal the judgment.
AOL Daily Finance: "After a U.S. District Court ruling yesterday, women in America may soon be able to get the same access to inexpensive, verifiable gene-testing for breast cancer that women in Europe currently enjoy."

Do they preserve scientific transparency, protect profits or both?

zarq — Wed, 13 May 2009 10:16:38 -0800

On behalf of medical organizations, universities, & individual patients, pathologists and genetics researchers, the ACLU has filed a lawsuit against Utah-based Myriad Genetics and the US Patent and Trademark Office. Myriad holds the US patents to the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, associated with hereditary causes of breast and ovarian cancers. Their patents guarantee the company the right to prevent anyone else from testing or studying those genes, which the ACLU says is unconstitutional and inhibits researchers from finding treatments and cures. The ACLU has posted a FAQ explaining the suit. It might be news to some that genes, gene fragments and the tools used to assess them can be patented. Here's some general info on patent eligibility and qualifications. Some question whether such patents spur or stifle research Myriad's BRCA test to measure the likelihood that someone would develop ovarian or breast cancer was in the news a couple of years ago, when a study revealed that it produces false negatives. Concerns were also raised in the EU over the patents when they were initially filed. Previously on MeFi

Booby boomies

underthehat — Thu, 30 Mar 2006 09:19:15 -0800

No implants on this Virgin? Sounds like some celebs won't be able to fly Virgin's space flights. Too bad. But what about other implants?

Yeah, can I get a venti late with an extra shot of espresso

sourbrew — Mon, 08 Aug 2005 16:43:51 -0800

Prolacta, Human Breast Milk for sale

Tastes good with chocolate syrup

Space Coyote — Thu, 25 Mar 2004 19:34:31 -0800

Just what does breast milk taste like, anyway?

The breasts of freedom

mathowie — Sat, 07 Feb 2004 14:33:58 -0800

If you like breasts and freedom, you might want to check out a new movement to Boycott the Grammys. The site links to various essays in support of Janet and opposition to the FCC and corporate reactions to the event. I suppose they want to send a message to advertisers by skipping it but it'll probably be about as effective as the class-action suit at accomplishing anything.

We are a part of a Bosom Nation...

Down10 — Sun, 01 Feb 2004 20:22:01 -0800

Janet Jackson pops out of dress at Super Bowl; CBS Apologizes. Note that this happened during Justin Timberlake's lyric of "I'm gonna get you naked by the end of this song." ..."It was not intentional and is regrettable," said Timberlake. Please direct all complaints to Viacom (owners of CBS, which aired the Super Bowl, and MTV, which produced the half-time show), if you felt offended. Me? I was pleased — it was one of the more entertaining half-time shows I've seen. Who needed the Lingerie Bowl?

All I want for Christmas is my two... new breasts?

rusty — Wed, 08 Jan 2003 13:55:06 -0800

Michele's breasts are in your hands! Southern Cali college girl Michele bemoans her "itty-bitty boobies" and asks the world to decide whether she should surgically acquire a set of bodacious ta-tas by donating to her online implant fund. So far the fund has swelled to only $19.36, hardly the push-up Michele was hoping for and pretty far from the $4500 she needs to get [more inside] her Wonderbra. But perhaps Mefites have a silicone dollop of charity left after the holiday season. Then again, maybe this isn't the ~~breast~~ best way to spend your charity dollar. [via El Reg]

An important breast cancer test is now unavailable in British Columbia

homunculus — Mon, 21 Oct 2002 10:02:42 -0800

An important breast cancer test is now unavailable in British Columbia because of the American company which holds the relevant patent. The B.C. Cancer Agency has been forced to stop the tests after legal threats by Utah-based Myriad Genetics Inc., which has a patent on two genes that can signal whether a woman may develop hereditary breast cancer. I think this is a perfect example of why patenting genes is a terrible idea. Via Slashdot.

Breast exams considered harmful.

maudlin — Tue, 26 Jun 2001 03:54:24 -0800

Breast exams considered harmful. Some Canadian researchers claim that teaching women to conduct their own breast exams does no good as they are more likely to encounter benign lumps, suffer undue anxiety and endure unnecessary surgery. (An associated article can be found here).

"Many breast tumours are found by women themselves, even in highly screened populations. However, in women regularly performing BSE, many self-detected tumours are found incidentally, not during self-examination. In one study, only 7.6% of women with breast tumours who were practising regular BSE actually detected the tumour by means of self-examination. In addition, tumours developing between screens in some age groups (e.g., 50–69) may be inherently more aggressive and thus may not be influenced by slightly earlier detection with BSE. "

So BSE works for only 7.6%? That's a good enough percentage for me, especially as the costs of BSE campaigns is pretty trivial compared to other public health measure.