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.
Ginny Bank was 14 when her mother sat her down and said they needed to see a gynecologist.
The comedian returns to TV - and has a new girlfriend by her side
The Queen of Nice is back -- and happier than ever.
Middle-aged women searching for a safe alternative to hormone therapy to prevent bone loss and ease the symptoms of menopause are in for another letdown.
Doctors and patients have a new tool to prevent breast cancer: A drug that is already approved for the treatment of the disease.
My husband has non-Hodgkins lymphoma, stage 4, and has been treated with chemotherapy. His doctor says it is under control. He wonders does that mean it is gone or just being held at bay? He has been having "hot flashes" since he began his treatment for his prostate cancer (cannot remember the Gleason score, but tumor was in both lobes of prostate, without changes to his bone marrow.) He was treated with hormones, brachytherapy and radiation for this. We can't seem to get an answer for the question of the "hot flashes." Are they a symptom of ongoing disease, the hormone therapy or will he just continue to have them for the rest of his life?
Will placing a tea bag on a cold sore make it disappear? Can you ease hot flashes with herbs? And does putting yogurt on your nether parts have a prayer of curing a yeast infection?
Women who smoke have an increased risk of developing breast cancer, especially if they become smokers early in life, a new study suggests.
One of my neighbors has breast cancer. Her doctor has asked her to completely stop eating soy and its products, including edamame and tofu. My neighbor used to eat tofu at least three times a week before she got breast cancer. Is there a link between soy and breast cancer? Is there a potential that I will get breast cancer because I used to eat edamame?
The antidepressant Lexapro (escitalopram) may reduce the frequency and severity of hot flashes, the bouts of sweating and overheating that are an uncomfortable fact of life for many menopausal women, a new government-funded study suggests.
Just after she'd gotten a divorce and gone back to work, Alice Thornton would feel cold one minute and hot the next, and her temper was shorter than usual.
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.
Sandra Gordon is dreading menopause. The 46-year-old from Weston, Connecticut, watched her mother's memory falter in her mid-50s, due to changing hormone levels. "Every time I get my period I say to myself, 'Yes! I'm so relieved!' " says Gordon.
Overweight women who experience hot flashes -- the uncomfortable flushing and sweating spells that accompany menopause -- may be able to cool those symptoms by losing weight, a new study suggests.
A simple doctor's-office blood test may one day be able to predict when a woman will start menopause, possibly even in women in their 20s.
Primary-care doctors now have a new--and potentially more convenient--tool to fight the bone disease osteoporosis.
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.
Doctors have known for years that a woman's risk of developing heart disease rises after menopause, but they weren't exactly sure why. It wasn't clear whether the increased risk is due to the hormonal changes associated with menopause, to aging itself, or to some combination of the two.
I have breast cancer and have been through surgery (lumpectomy). Most recently, I have had radiation. Now that it's over, I am wondering if I should take a vitamin, and if so, what would be a good vitamin for me?
I have just turned 55 and am still having a regular, clockwork period every single 28 days. It lasts only three to four days, but it is still there! Is there any danger in having this go on so long? I was approximately 13 years old when I started, and here I still am! I have no symptoms of menopause at all.
Who should care about their cholesterol levels? Everyone, especially women. CNN's Melissa Long explains.
When 48-year-old Erin Peiffer, of Eldersburg, Maryland, learned that she had high cholesterol in her 20s, she never thought it would pose a problem.
Most of us have experienced those maddening midnight moments when, no matter how tired we are, we either can't fall asleep, can't stay asleep or our sleep is of such poor quality it feels as if we were awake. For anyone who has tossed and turned at night, here's some expert advice for solving nine sleep problems.
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).
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.
Researchers find breastfeeding reduces the risk of breast cancer in high-risk women. CNN's Melissa Long reports.
I am 49 years old and take Seasonique. Will I start menopause even though I am on birth control?
Fallen out of love with your birth control? Maybe you're put off by the side effects -- cramps from hell, unpredictable bleeding. Or maybe remembering to pop a pill just isn't your strong suit. Problem is, going without isn't a good choice, even as you get older: Nearly 40 percent of pregnancies among women in their 40s, for instance, are unplanned.
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.
Your period comes at the same time every month ... except when it doesn't. Suddenly, without warning, you're early or late, or your flow is heavy, light, or nonexistent (and you know you're not pregnant!). You and millions of women understandably wonder, Is this normal or is something terribly wrong?
I have had painful periods for the past couple of years and have also had ovarian cysts. I had a couple of larger cysts removed about five years ago and was told I had endometriosis at that time. I continue to have pain and now have been told I have a 7 cm cyst on the right ovary. My doctor recommends removing both ovaries and the uterus. I'm just researching the pros and cons. Was wondering if there are any major issues I should be concerned about if I had the uterus and both ovaries removed. I am 42 and do not plan to have children. Given the history of pain and previous cysts, is it a good idea to go ahead and remove everything? Thanks for your time. Melissa
David Prowse, who played Darth Vader in the original "Star Wars" films, has revealed he is suffering from prostate cancer but is still feeling "fantastic."
U.S. breast cancer cases have dropped in women aged 50 to 69 in recent years because many women have stopped taking hormone therapy, according to a study in The New England Journal of Medicine.
Dr. Joann Manson, author of Hot Flashes, Hormones, and Your Health, suggests asking yourself three questions before going to the doctor.
Not too long ago, millions of postmenopausal women were taking estrogen as part of hormone therapy to protect their hearts, prevent cancer, and keep their brains sharp.
The statistics are sobering: Heart disease is the number-one killer of women in the United States. And an estimated 8 million women have it. What's more, a new study shows that in recent years the overall heart disease risk for Americans -- especially women -- hasn't continued the healthy downward trend it showed in previous decades.
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?
Postmenopausal women who have lost interest in sex may be able to bring their libidos back to life with a testosterone patch, according to new research published this week in The New England Journal of Medicine.
An experimental menopause treatment drugmaker Wyeth is developing reduced hot flashes, trouble sleeping and other symptoms
Women in their 30s and 40s may experience the symptoms of perimenopause, as CNN's Judy Fortin reports.
Lisle Nolan started noticing the symptoms four months ago: headaches, mood swings and a menstrual cycle that was out of whack.
Get your daughters off the couch: New research shows exercise during the teen years -- starting as young as age 12 -- can help protect girls from breast cancer when they're grown
Dutch researchers are developing a blood test that could predict the onset of menopause and the decline of fertility
Scientists in the UK are seeking 150 women to eat chocolate every day for a year in the cause of medical research.
As a mature woman -- at least chronologically -- I don't spend a lot of time thinking or worrying about menopause.
CNN's Judy Fortin looks at why some women experience brain fog when going through menopause.
Let's face it: There's no body part women obsess about more than breasts -- their size, shape, sag factor, and whether those strange pains stem from monthly PMS hormones or something more ominous, like breast cancer.
Dr. Bernadine Healy can't even count the number of women who've complained to her about how tough it is to make the decision about hormone replacement therapy.
CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta talks about a study that has found increased cancer risk years after hormone replacement therapy is stopped.
Not getting any? You're not alone: Women today have less time for sex than their 1950s counterparts. And it's estimated that 40 million Americans have what experts call a sexless marriage (having sex less than 10 times a year).
Know what you're getting into before you choose plastic surgery. CNN's Judy Fortin explains.
"If it sounds too good to be true, it is." Remember that axiom if you're considering cosmetic surgery. A nose job, tummy tuck or breast lift may change your appearance, but it probably won't fundamentally change your life.
If you want to stand up tall when you're old, you might want to start when you're young. While osteoporosis, or thinning of bone density, usually hits most women after they have gone through menopause, there are steps they can take in their early years to lessen just how much bone they eventually lose.
CNN's Judy Fortin looks at ways women can fight back against osteoporosis.
A new study found that a low fat diet can reduce a woman's risk of developing ovarian cancer. CNN's Judy Fortin reports.
In June 2004, Trisha Torrey found a golf ball-size lump in her torso. A surgeon removed it and gave her the grim news: cancer.
Drug developer Eli Lilly & Co. said Friday the Food and Drug Administration approved its osteoporosis drug Evista for use in reducing the risk of invasive breast cancer.
Researchers are still figuring out the dangers and benefits of hormone replacement therapy, but two new studies give a boost to estrogen as a defense against dementia
Invasive breast cancer rates have fallen since the substantial decline in postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy occurred, even after a decline in breast cancer screening rates, according to findings published in the 5th Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
You'd think it was 1999 all over again.
Wyeth said U.S. regulators are unwilling to approve its experimental drug Pristiq for hot flashes until the company resolves concerns about its potential to cause serious heart and liver problems.
Eli Lilly & Co.'s osteoporosis drug Evista reduces the risk of breast cancer in some patients, but at a cost of an increased risk of serious side effects, regulatory reviewers said in documents released Friday.
Breast cancer survivors who ate more fruits and vegetables were not more likely to avoid a cancer recurrence
Wyeth stock dropped 2 percent in Thursday afternoon trading despite a strong earnings report, and analysts think that the experimental drug Pristiq is to blame.
Amgen, king of the biotechs, sits on a shaky throne.
A new study shows that for younger post-menopausal women, estrogen may actually reduce the risk of heart disease
Cece Clark's fibroids had gotten so bad that she often had to lie down in the middle of the day. When she got up, it was usually for another trip to the bathroom. "My periods were astoundingly heavy, and pressure on my bladder made me feel like I had to go all the time," she recalls. But after she tried an uncommon ultrasound treatment, everything changed. "The pressure lessened right away," she says. "It was such a physical and emotional relief."
What shapes a woman's reality -- how she sees the world, how she relates to the people in her life, and how she feels about herself?
The number of new breast cancer cases dropped by 7 percent in 2003, according to research presented at a breast cancer conference in San Antonio, Texas, on Thursday. But some cancer experts wonder whether the decline will last. CNN's Soledad O'Brien discussed the new findings with Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
Wyeth faces another lawsuit Wednesday - with thousands more to go -blaming its drug Prempro for causing breast cancer.
Getting sued seems to be the price of doing business for Big Pharma, and Wyeth has once again joined the ranks of the defendants.
Drinking two to three glasses of wine a day may not be such good medicine for the heart after all, a team of experts say in a leading medical journal.
Stephanie Yarber, from Alabama, became infertile in her teens. She gave birth to her first baby, Anna Grace, five months ago, after receiving healthy ovary tissue from her identical twin sister, Melanie Morgan. Here is her story:
In 1987, around one in four women age 50 and older said they'd had a mammogram and breast exam in the past two years. Eleven years later, that number jumped to 69 percent.
HEART AND CARDIOVASCULAR
Too much food, too little exercise
When NBC booted blond star Suzanne Somers off Three's Company in 1981 after she demanded that her salary be quintupled to M*A*S*H star Alan Alda's $150,000 a year, critics scoffed she was a bimbo w...
Menopause is a normal part of a woman's life that is brought on by declining levels of estrogen and progesterone, which trigger the end of regular menstrual cycles.
The federal government is halting a large study looking at the use of estrogen because the hormone replacement appears to have no impact on heart disease and may even cause adverse health effects, the Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday.
"Break a leg" may be good luck in the theater but not when it comes to osteoporosis. The disease causes bones to become more porous, gradually making them brittle--and it causes 1.5 million fractur...
When Leslie Wallace began having symptoms of menopause five years ago, her doctor prescribed Prempro, a combination of the hormones estrogen and progestin (synthetic progesterone). She wanted relie...
One of my patients, a 48-year-old woman, recently complained of having difficulty sleeping. She was also experiencing wild mood swings and hot flashes. She was convinced she was suffering from a ra...
A few months before Charles "Chad" Holliday was installed as Du Pont's CEO last January, he spearheaded a bold stroke: his company's $1.5 billion acquisition of an obscure Ralston Purina unit calle...
DURING AN ANNUAL industry gathering, the regional manager of a communications giant began to feel warm. The air conditioner must be on the blink, she thought. But then she realized that everyone el...



