Each year billions of dollars are spent in the search to find new cancer drugs. Very few of these would-be treatments end up being approved by the government and entering widespread use, which makes it all the more intriguing that one of the most promising new cancer drugs in years is, in fact, an old drug.
Paul Stamets was shy as a child; he couldn't look people in the eyes, so he stared at the ground. And that, he says, is where he found mushrooms.
"Mushroom Man" Paul Stamets talks about the many health benefits of mushrooms, one possibly helping to cure cancer.
Three and a half weeks since having a double mastectomy, Giuliana Rancic says she's "doing better than I anticipated in recovery."
CNN Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen explains how a fertility doctor helped catch Guiliana Rancic's cancer.
Giuliana Rancic announced that she will have a double mastectomy to fight breast cancer. A.J. Hammer reports
Two weeks after undergoing a double mastectomy and reconstructive surgery, Giuliana Rancic was back on the set at "E! News" on Tuesday.
Giuliana Rancic is in good spirits after undergoing a successful double mastectomy and reconstructive surgery on Tuesday.
A new combination of treatments can help battle some forms of metastatic breast cancer and slow down the spread of the disease, according to two separate studies.
Dr. Drew and his guests discuss what people should understand about the risks of breast cancer.
Giuliana Rancic will have a double mastectomy after lumpectomies failed to completely eradicate her breast cancer.
When new patients worry they don't know how they'll get through breast cancer, Cindy Davis puts her hand on theirs and says, "I know, but I want to tell you, I truly know, because I went through this two years ago."
Rather than risk a reoccurrence of breast cancer, the comedian underwent radical surgery
Wanda Sykes being outrageous -- that's expected. But for the actress-comedian to be serious? That's rare. Even when the issue is personal.
I had breast reduction surgery two years ago and went from a size GG to DD. I wanted to know, does a reduction lower the risk of breast cancer or abnormalities in the breast?
Debbie Cantwell started The Pink Daisy Project, a nonprofit that supports breast cancer patients under 45.
Just a year before turning 40, Judy Haley was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer that required an immediate mastectomy.
I had fibroadenoma [a benign breast tumor] and had it removed with surgery. I am 31 and I want to know if I can take precautions to prevent breast cancer or other related problems.
Monday morning, Patricia Howard, 66, was at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, undergoing scans that led doctors to declare her cancer-free -- five years after her advanced breast cancer was diagnosed.
An FDA panel debates the effectiveness of the cancer drug Avastin, which was approved under an accelerated process.
Doctors and patients have a new tool to prevent breast cancer: A drug that is already approved for the treatment of the disease.
I have inflammatory breast cancer and I have been through chemo and a double mastectomy. They found active cancer cells so the cancer has spread. The oncologist said she didn't think there was anything more they could do for me. I start radiation soon but she didn't think that that would be very helpful either. Is there anything out there that may help me?
When she found the lump in her breast, Jessica Denton had known she was pregnant with her first child for just a few days.
In 2010, a study found women with no family history of breast cancer do not benefit from mammograms at an early age.
A new study questions the way breast cancer surgery is done. CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta reports.
Women with early stage breast cancer that has spread to their lymph nodes may require less extensive surgery than previously thought, according to a new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
The controversial drug Avastin should be phased out as a treatment for metastatic breast cancer, the Food and Drug Administration said Thursday, citing recent studies that show its benefits may be outweighed by dangerous side effects.
Martina Navratilova won the legends title at the French Open with Jana Novotna while she was also fighting cancer.
CNN's Elizabeth Cohen explains a new option to help breast cancer survivors who opt for surgery.
Elizabeth Anderson had to act fast when she learned she had advanced breast cancer in April 2009.
After six weeks of radiation, the tennis legend feels "as good as new"
Many middle-aged women report sexual problems, including a loss of libido and a less-than-satisfying sex life. Now a new study suggests these problems are even more common among women who have had breast cancer.
The Food and Drug Administration may revoke its approval of the drug Avastin for use in breast cancer patients.
Marcia Gilbert has spent most of her life in Charlotte, North Carolina, but for the end of summer, she decided to make a special trip.
Women who have gene mutations that increase the risk of breast and ovarian cancer can substantially reduce their chances of developing -- and dying from -- those cancers if they have their breasts or ovaries removed preemptively, according to a new study.
It had been 29 years of clean living, almost three decades since her right breast -- "a lot of my womanhood, my female identity," she said -- had been removed because of cancer. She'd had a boyfriend at the time. He sent flowers to the hospital and never called again. "It was a really traumatic, dark time for me," recalls Peggy Frechione, now 60. And then it wasn't. She recovered, married, raised children in the Pittsburgh suburbs and held a job as a nurse. Her body cooperated; scan after scan came up clean.
Martina Navratilova takes us on a tour of Roland Garros, home of the French Open.
Potential cancer vaccine! Possible anxiety treatment! Scientific studies looking at potential therapies for physical and mental illness often sound exciting -- that is, until you read further and realize they're in mice.
Scientists at Ohio's Cleveland Clinic have developed a vaccine that was shown to prevent breast cancer tumors in mice.
Scientists at Ohio's Cleveland Clinic are touting a new prototype vaccine to prevent breast cancer as "promising." This follows tests performed on mice by the researchers. The scientists said a single vaccination was shown to prevent breast cancer tumors from forming in mice, and also stymied the growth of existing tumors.
A round-the-world yachtswoman who beat breast cancer says that sailing helped her cope with the "hell of cancer."
Martina Navratilova tells CNN's Larry King about her battle with breast cancer.
Nine-time Wimbledon tennis champion Martina Navratilova said Wednesday she has breast cancer.
"I cried," the tennis legend, 53, tells PEOPLE. "It knocked me on my ass, really"
How many, if any, cases of nervous system disorders have been reported because of A-C breast cancer chemotherapy? I'm 45 and had treatment at 39 and 40. I now experience a very exaggerated amount of shaking of the hands.
Diagnosed in 2005, the Survivor: Palau beauty used her TV fame to help others
The 4th place finisher succumbed after a protracted battle with breast cancer
Jennifer Lyon, who placed fourth on "Survivor: Palau" in 2005, died at her home in Oregon Tuesday night, PEOPLE has confirmed. She was 37.
The recent revelation by Teresa Heinz, wife of U.S. Senator John Kerry, that she has been diagnosed with early-stage cancer in both of her breasts has likely left many women wondering, "Could this happen to me?"
Women with breast cancer who eat more soy are less likely to die or have a recurrence of cancer than women who eat few or no soy products, according to a new study.
How does tamoxifen affect weight? Can one expect weight loss after the prescription is over? Thanks.
Almost half of women who have breast cancer surgery still have pain or numbness two to three years later, according to a new study. Women younger than 40 who receive lumpectomies are at the greatest risk.
After a breast cancer diagnosis, some rush to treatment. But as Elizabeth Cohen reports, experts say know your options.
Less than an hour before her mastectomy was scheduled to begin, Eve Wallinga's surgeon gave her the bad news: Because of unforeseen complications, doctors wouldn't be able to reconstruct a new breast for her immediately after removing her cancerous breast as planned. She was told she'd have to wait another day for the plastic surgery.
Less than an hour before her mastectomy was scheduled to begin, Eve Wallinga's surgeon gave her the bad news: Because of unforeseen complications, doctors wouldn't be able to reconstruct a new breast for her immediately after removing her cancerous breast as planned. She was told she'd have to wait another day for the plastic surgery.
I was 18 when I first felt a lump in my breast. Of course, I was convinced that I was going to die. This was three decades ago -- back when we knew far less about breast cancer. A general surgeon removed the lump, which, thank goodness, wasn't malignant.
Recipes from a new cookbook help cancer patients combat food complaints and the side effects of cancer therapy.
Walk into Lisa Nasser's kitchen most evenings and you're greeted by rich aromas that indicate an exceptional cook is at work on a delicious creation.
Women at high risk of breast cancer can often lower that risk by taking medication, including drugs like tamoxifen or the osteoporosis drug raloxifene (Evista).
Larry talks with his guests about their remembrances of the late Patrick Swayze.
Actor Patrick Swayze's achievements include several feature films such as "Dirty Dancing" and "Ghost," as well as living with advanced pancreatic cancer for longer than most patients.
With more younger women choosing to be tested for the breast cancer gene, the Bright Pink foundation offers them education and support.
It's Saturday night. Three young women are dressed to the nines at a trendy bistro on Rush Street in downtown Chicago. They're having drinks outside on the kind of summer night that makes you fall in love with the city.
Researchers find breastfeeding reduces the risk of breast cancer in high-risk women. CNN's Melissa Long reports.
Women with a family history of breast cancer may have a new weapon against the disease: breast-feeding. In a new study of more than 60,000 women, nursing a baby for at least three months cut the risk of breast cancer in half for those who had a family history of the disease.
Women who use hormone therapy after menopause may be at a higher risk of ovarian cancer, and the risk remains elevated for up to two years after women stop taking estrogen, a new study says.
If breast cancer is caught in a very early stage, and a lumpectomy and sentinel node biopsy show no metastasis, can an HER-2 positive type of breast cancer appear later in the lungs, bones, liver, etc.? That is, spread to other parts of the body without any metastasis from the breast tissue itself?
Think that vitamins can only help--but never hurt--a condition? Although that's true in many cases, some vitamins can be harmful to certain people or under special circumstances.
Women with breast cancer in the United States have an average age of 63 when they are diagnosed, and the disease is more common in older women than younger.
Cancer patients may be able to fight chemotherapy-induced nausea using a common pantry spice -- ginger.
After breast cancer and reconstructive surgery, she attacks every day with strength and purpose
Greek physician Hippocrates was the first to use the words "carcinos" and "carcinoma" in 400 BC to describe tumors, which led to the term "cancer" being coined.
There are around 200 known types of cancers. Some are far more widespread than others.
For the 150,000 American women entering menopause each month, the mood swings, hot flashes and libido changes that often accompany a drop in estrogen can leave them feeling like they need help. In the past, hormone replacement therapy was often used to help ease symptoms, but compelling research has shown a significant drop in breast cancer cases among women over 50 after they stopped hormone therapy. This leaves many women asking, how do I manage menopause?
Estrogen therapy is about the last thing you'd expect a doctor to prescribe for a woman with breast cancer: The hormone is famous for coaxing tumors to grow, not shrink. But in a new study, one out of three postmenopausal women with advanced cancer who were given a daily dose of estrogen saw their tumors slow to a stop, and in some cases, even get smaller.
"She never stopped once to say, feel sorry for me," says her Samantha Who? costar
Let's face it: Your mom, your sister-in-law, your co-worker, your best friend from college -- someone you know has had breast cancer. Someone you care about has sat white-faced, clutching the kitchen phone, or in a doctor's office, and gotten the scary news that every woman dreads -- news that one out of eight of us will hear in our lifetime, 250,000 of us this year alone.
The singer reached out to Christina Applegate after the actress's cancer diagnosis earlier this year
For more than 20 years, actress Christina Applegate has kept audiences laughing.
Many breast cancer survivors are in the same boat during recovery, as CNN's Judy Fortin reports in this Health Minute.
The scene looked like a flashback to ancient China.
"I just wanted to kind of be rid of this whole thing for me," says the actress
It was a long night, and Susan Niebur was feeling low. Normally, this working mom in Silver Spring, Maryland, can keep a shocking number of balls in the air and still smile. She's a physicist who works part-time as a consultant to NASA; an at-home mom to Matt, 1, and Andrew, 3; an animal-rescue volunteer; and a daily blogger. But Niebur, 35, is also a full-time cancer patient, and one night last fall her characteristic attitude of resolve and optimism failed her. After nearly six months of chemotherapy, the treatment's side effects -- which are cumulative -- were brutal.
Young, African-American women are at increased risk for a type of breast cancer as Judy Fortin reports in Health Minute.
Cheryl Reed's morning routine starts like that of millions of other mothers around the country. She makes breakfast for her 8-year-old son and 6-year-old daughter, piles them into a minivan and drops them off at school.
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