A Duke Health analysis of breast cancer in North Carolina showed that the state’s urban counties had higher overall incidences of disease than rural counties, especially at early stages upon diagnosis.
The findings, appearing in the journal Scientific Reports, serve as a national template for assessing the impact of poor environmental quality across different stages of breast cancer, which is marked by highly diverse origins and mechanisms for spreading.
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), an estimated 623,405 people in the U.S. were living with metastatic melanoma, breast, lung, prostate, bladder, or colorectal cancer in 2018. By 2025, the prevalence will increase by an estimated 11%. While melanoma and colon cancer commonly metastasize to the brain, and prostate cancer often advances to the spine, lung and breast cancer tend to metastasize to both the brain and spine. "An increasing number of patients need treatment for cancer-related brain or spine metastasis, and for a potentially longer continuum of care," says breast medical oncologist Rani Bansal, MD, of the Duke Cancer Institute (DCI). The Duke Center for Brain and Spine Metastasis (DCBSM) recently expanded its services to Duke Cancer Center Raleigh, now offering a specialized multidisciplinary approach to care for patients throughout the Triangle affected by any cancer that metastasizes to the brain or spine. Continue Reading
Karen Kump of Elko, Nevada, knew the lump on her right breast should be checked by a doctor when she first noticed it in July 2022. “But my granddaughter was getting married, and I wanted the attention to be on her,” she said. Kump, 78, didn’t know the mass was a rare type of breast cancer called a phyllodes tumor. Within two months, Kump needed a mastectomy because it had grown so big, so fast. Now, the retired schoolteacher is participating in phyllodes tumor research at Duke Health. “I’m hoping others might benefit from what I went through,” she said. CONTINUE READING at Duke Health