‘Veep’ actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus battling breast cancer

LOS ANGELES | Emmy-winning comedic actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus said on Thursday that she was battling breast cancer and highlighted the case for universal healthcare.

Louis-Dreyfus, 56, who plays foul-mouthed fictitious former U.S. President Selina Meyer on HBO’s “Veep,” said “1 in 8 women get breast cancer. Today, I‘m the one,” in a short post on her social media platforms.

“The good news is that I have the most glorious group of supportive and caring family and friends, and fantastic insurance through my union. The bad news is that not all women are so lucky, so let’s fight all cancers and make universal health care a reality,” the actress wrote.

She did not give any further details of her health status.

Time Warner’s HBO network said Louis-Dreyfus received the diagnosis a day after the Emmy Awards earlier this month, where she won a record sixth consecutive Emmy for comedy actress for her role as Meyer. The Emmys are U.S. television’s highest honor.

HBO added that her diagnosis played no part in its decision to end “Veep” after next season, and that writers would keep working on the final season while production would be adjusted around the actress.

“Our love and support go out to Julia and her family at this time. We have every confidence she will get through this with her usual tenacity and undaunted spirit, and look forward to her return to health and to HBO for the final season of Veep,” HBO said in a statement.

Louis-Dreyfus achieved fame in the 1990s for her role as Elaine Benes on NBC’s “Seinfeld,” which also won her an Emmy.

source: interaksyon.com

Actress Shannen Doherty battling breast cancer: report

LOS ANGELES | U.S. television actress Shannen Doherty, best known for her roles in “Beverly Hills, 90210″ and “Charmed,” is currently undergoing treatment for breast cancer, celebrity publication People magazine said Wednesday.

Doherty, 44, told People that she is focusing on her recovery. The magazine also cited legal documents from a recent lawsuit filed by the actress that disclosed her illness, saying she was first diagnosed with the cancer in March this year.

A representative for the actress could not be reached by Reuters for comment.

Doherty is best known for playing Brenda Walsh in the early 1990s series “90210,” which followed the lives of Southern California teens, and Prue Halliwell on late 1990s series “Charmed,” which followed three sisters with magical abilities.

source: interaksyon.com

Women with close male kin with prostate cancer more likely to have breast cancer - study

Women with close male relatives with prostate cancer are more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer, a new study confirms.

These findings, from the large Women's Health Initiative, reinforce the results of a 1994 study in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, the authors write.

“This is not the first study to examine this relationship, but it is one of the larger to date, if not the largest study,” said lead author Jennifer L. Beebe-Dimmer of Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit.

Cancer is a disease of the DNA, she said, and family clustering indicates that breast and prostate cancers may have genes in common,

Beebe-Dimmer and her colleagues used data for more than 78,000 women in the Women’s Health Initiative who were over age 50 and cancer-free when the study began in 1993. At the start they had comprehensive physical exams and gave detailed personal and family medical histories.

Most women remained in the study for more than 10 years.

By 2009 there had been 3,506 new breast cancers in the original group.

Overall, more than 11,000 women had a first-degree relative – mother, sister or daughter - with breast cancer, and this was more common for those who were eventually diagnosed themselves. Twenty percent of women with breast cancer had first-degree relatives with the disease, compared to nearly 15 percent of those who did not develop breast cancer.

There was a similar, but very slight, association with prostate cancer, the researchers reported in Cancer.

More than 11 percent of women who developed breast cancer reported a first-degree relative with prostate cancer, compared to about 10 percent of women without the disease. Having a father, brother or son with prostate cancer increased the risk of breast cancer by about 14 percent.

Compared to women with no family history of breast or prostate cancer, those with a family history of both were 80 percent more likely to develop breast cancer, the authors found.

“We know that the major breast cancer susceptibility genes BRCA1 and BRCA2 are also linked to prostate cancer,” Beebe-Dimmer told Reuters Health by email. That may explain some of the clustering, she said.

Researchers have been reporting on familial links between breast and prostate cancer for 40 years, said Mary-Claire King of the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle, in email to Reuters Health.

“It is good to see the link confirmed” in the Women’s Health Initiative, said King, who was not involved in the new research.

“Both of these cancers are relatively common, so that it is possible when cancers are diagnosed in multiple family members it may be due to chance,” she said. “It may also be an exposure to something in the environment.”

The decision to increase breast cancer screening will depend on how many male relatives have been diagnosed with prostate cancer and at what age, she said, with more diagnoses at young ages being particularly telling.

“Knowledge of breast cancer family history is still extremely important,” Beebe-Dimmer said. She would not recommend BRCA1 or 2 genetic testing for women with a family history of prostate cancer but no history of breast or ovarian cancer.

source: interaksyon.com

Have your regular breast self-exams and other breast care must-dos

Early detection is one of the keys to survive breast cancer. Yet, many women need help remembering important things, such as doing a regular self-breast exam.

Yet, despite campaigns set by the health department and other NGOs related to women’s health, lack of awareness still remains the reason for poor compliance. Here are some frequently asked questions on breast care with answers courtesy of experts from the Manila Doctors Hospital.

When is the best time to perform a breast self-exam?
According to the American Cancer Society 2010, it is recommended once each month beginning at the age of twenty.

Breast Self-Exam (BSE) is done once a month so women may be more familiar with the usual appearance and feel of their breasts. Familiarity makes it easier to notice any changes in the breasts from one month to another. Some physicians suggest that women do their BSE every day for a month to make them more aware of how their breasts look and feel. Early discovery of a change from what is normal is the whole idea behind BSE.

The best time to do BSE is two to three days after the end of your period, when the breasts are least likely to be tender or swollen. A woman who no longer has periods may find it helpful to pick a particular day, such as the first day of the month, to remind her that it is time to do BSE.

How does one go about a BSE?
There is no rule of thumb when doing a breast self-exam. There are different techniques depending on what suits you best. Some opt to do it while facing a mirror, others while lying down, or while in the shower.

What’s the next step if you feel a lump in your breast?
If you discover anything unusual, such as a lump, a discharge from the nipple, or dimpling or puckering of the skin, you should see your doctor at once.

Many women have irregular or “lumpy” breast. The term “benign breast condition” refers to those changes in a woman’s breasts that are not cancerous. Many doctors believe that nearly all women have some benign breast changes after the age of thirty. But any of these changes is best consulted with your physician.

How does BSE affect us?
Breasts come in all shapes and sizes, just as women are. Our breast will change through time; hence, it is important for us to learn what is normal. For women, BSE is easy to do as the name implies.

Are there any other modalities?
Adult women should receive regular physician-performed clinical breast exams. It is recommended that women aged 40 years and above should undergo mammogram screening every one to two years. As soon as women reach the age of fifty, mammography should be performed every year.

There is no harm in being aware and getting involved in practicing and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Develop a habit and engage your family, friends, and colleagues to do the same.

source: interaksyon.com

Post-breast cancer surgery bras: Regaining confidence after mastectomy

A great number of Filipino women battle against breast cancer and this disease, is not only debilitating to the health but can also result to a social and psychological burden to some who have undergone full mastectomy or the complete removal of their breasts.

Catering to this specific need of women battling against cancer, BodyForms Philippines Inc. brought to the Philippines a set of products from Germany that can provide the necessary need and care of women after a breast cancer surgery.

“Its because of the study revealing an increase in breast cancer cases in the Philippines. In Southeast Asia, the Philippines has the most number of incidence of breast cancer so they did a study before and they decided to get the exclusive distributorship of Amoena. That’s what prompted the owner to bring the product. It’s very timely to introduce the product here,” Chie Conlu, Office Manager and resource person from BodyForms Philippines Inc. told InterAksyon.

The said study was cited from the reports by the Department of Health and Philippine Cancer Society which showed that breast cancer is the most common cancer in the country, comprising 16 percent of the 80, 000 new cancer cases in 2010.

BodyForms also cited a 2012 report from the Philippine Society of Medical Oncology stating that an estimated three out of 100 Filipino women will contract the disease before age 75 and that one out of 100 will die before age 75.

With this, most breast cancer patients prefer to undergo full mastectomy. Studies show that more than 90 percent of Filipino women diagnosed with breast cancer prefer complete removal rather than breast conservation as surgical treatment, according to BodyForms.

“Rebuilding a woman’s confidence and facilitating her return to normal activity after mastectomy are becoming priorities for the country’s health and beauty industry,” a press release from BodyForms stated.

BodyForms’ breast prostheses products include special brassieres and breast forms using silicon technology that provides comfort needed after a surgery. Their post-surgery brassieres can also reduce irritation, keeps the operated breast(s) in place and restores the breast’s natural shape.

The shop also offers swimwear products that have a transparent silicone fit for water activities.



Even with this kind of post-surgery solutions, however, it is still believed that early detection is the key to prevent the disease. It is encouraged for every woman to conduct routine breast examination, mammograms and vigilance in observing changes in the physical form of the breasts and nipples.

Avoiding vices like drinking alcohol, cigarette smoking can also help in avoiding said debilitating cancer.

Breastfeeding is also known to lower the risk of having a breast cancer.

source: interaksyon.com

Japanese researchers reach breakthrough in breast cancer regenerative medicine

TOKYO -- Japanese researchers have achieved a major breakthrough in regenerative medicine for breast cancer patients, Japanese news agency Jiji Press reported.

The researchers succeeded in having breast cancer patients recover what was lost after breast-conserving surgery, an operation to remove breast cancer and not breast itself by transplanting fat mixed with their own stem cells.

The achievement was made by a team of researchers led by Bin Nakayama, associate professor at Tottori University during clinical testing conducted between September and January on five women aged between 30 and 60 who underwent breast-conserving surgery.

Durng the tests, fat taken out of the patients' abdomen or hips and mixed with their stem cells was transplanted into where tumours and surrounding tissues were removed.

The researchers said that if only fat is transplanted, most of it is absorbed into the body and about 30 per cent of it remains as it does not have blood vessels.

Between 70 to 90 per cent of transplanted fat remained after blood vessels were newly formed in the fat.

Stem cells are apparently capable of helping bring blood vessels into fat from surrounding tissues, the researchers added.

According to the Japanese Breast Cancer Society, some 60,000 Japanese develop breast cancer a year with 60 per cent undergoing breast-conserving surgery.

source: interaksyon.com

Reality show star ‘Mommy Elvie’ Villasanta succumbs to breast cancer

Elvira Villasanta — the star of the reality shows “Mommy Elvie’s Problematic Show” and “Mommy Elvie @ 18″ — died Friday after over a year of battling breast cancer. She was 84 years old.

A source close to the deceased told InterAksyon that her body was brought to the Arlington Memorial Chapels in Quezon City, but it will be moved to the Christ The King Church in Greenmeadows on Saturday. Public viewing will start on Sunday.

In a note on the Mommy Elvie Villasanta Facebook fan page, Aleah Aliporo-Eugenio, the writer-director of the “Mommy Elvie” reality shows, revealed that Mrs. Villasanta was admittted to the St. Luke’s Medical Center on January 30 and was scheduled for an operation on February 2.

The jolly mother of comedian Ariel Villasanta of the Maverick and Ariel comic duo revealed to the media that she had breast cancer in September 2011 during a press conference for the second season of “Mommy Elvie @ 18″ on GMA NewsTV.

Even as she was ailing, the show ran for a third and final season until summer last year.



In 2006, Mommy Elvie appeared in her son’s own comedy show on ABC5, “The Misadventures of Maverick and Ariel”, where she declared her dream to become famous before she turned 80.

She fulfilled that dream the following year when she starred in “Mommy Elvie’s Problematic Show”, which aired for 14 months on ABC5, the former name of TV5.

source: interaksyon.com

Director Marilou Diaz Abaya, 57, dies of breast cancer

Award-winning director Marilou Diaz Abaya died on Monday evening at St. Luke’s Medical Center in Taguig after a long battle with breast cancer. She was 57.

Abaya, a devout Catholic, was pronounced her final rites on Sunday afternoon.

The director of the acclaimed films “Jose Rizal”, “Muro Ami”, “Sa Pusod ng Dagat”, “Brutal” and “Moral”, Abaya took a sabbatical from the film industry when she contractred breast cancer eight years ago, one year after making the film “Noon at Ngayon”.

She was believed to have recovered from the disease two years later. She put up her film school, the Marilou Diaz Abaya Film Institute and Arts Center, in 2006, and made her last film, “Ikaw Ang Pag-ibig” last year. Her breast cancer returned last March in terminal stage.

Until late last month she had been active on Facebook and Twitter. She was optimistic about her  recovery on her last Facebook post on September 17.

A week before that, she quoted Albert Einstein with this post: “there’s only two ways to live your life; either by believing that nothing is a miracle, or, by believing that everything is a miracle” :)

Abaya was one of the most decorated Filipino filmmakers regardless of gender. She won numerous awards from all the notable local award-giving bodies. In 2001, she was named Laureate for the Fukuoka Prize for Culture and the Arts in Japan.

source: interaksyon.com

Radiation may up breast cancer risk in some women

LONDON (AP) — Mammograms aimed at finding breast cancer might actually raise the chances of developing it in young women whose genes put them at higher risk for the disease, a study by leading European cancer agencies suggests.

The added radiation from mammograms and other types of tests with chest radiation might be especially harmful to them and an MRI is probably a safer method of screening women under 30 who are at high risk because of gene mutations, the authors conclude.

The study can't prove a link between the radiation and breast cancer, but is one of the biggest ever to look at the issue. The research was published Thursday in the journal BMJ.

"This will raise questions and caution flags about how we treat women with (gene) mutations," said Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, deputy chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society. He and the society had no role in the research.

Mammograms are most often used in women over 40, unless they are at high risk, like carrying a mutation of the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene. Having such a mutation increases the risk of developing cancer five-fold. About one in 400 women has the gene abnormalities, which are more common in Eastern European Jewish populations. Unlike mammograms, an MRI, or magnetic resonance imaging scan, does not involve radiation.

The breast cancer screening tests have been proven to save lives and are clearly beneficial for women aged 50 and over who have an average risk of breast cancer. Experts are divided about their value in women younger than 50.

Some studies have suggested women with the genetic mutations could be more sensitive to radiation because the genes are involved in fixing DNA problems. If those genes are damaged by radiation, they may not be able to repair DNA properly, raising the cancer risk.

In several European countries including Britain, the Netherlands and Spain, doctors already advise women with BRCA mutations to get MRIs instead of mammograms before age 30. In the U.S., there is no specific advice from a leading task force of government advisers, but the American Cancer Society recommends yearly mammograms and MRIs from age 30 for women with BRCA gene mutations.

In the BMJ study, European researchers followed nearly 2,000 women over 18 with one of the gene mutations in Britain, France and the Netherlands. Participants reported their previous chest X-rays and mammograms, including the age of their first screening and the number of procedures. About 850 women were later diagnosed with breast cancer. Roughly half of them had X-rays while one third had at least one mammogram, at an average age of 29.

The researchers did not have a breakdown of how many women were exposed to chest radiation before age 30 but estimated that for every 100 women aged 30 with a gene mutation, nine will develop breast cancer by age 40. They projected the number of cases would increase by five if all of them had one mammogram before age 30. But they cautioned their results should be interpreted with caution because most women didn't have a mammogram before 30.

Researchers found women with a history of chest radiation in their 20s had a 43 percent increased relative risk of breast cancer compared to women who had no chest radiation at that age. Any exposure before age 20 seemed to raise the risk by 62 percent. Radiation after age 30 did not seem to affect breast cancer risk.

"We believe countries who use mammograms in women under 30 should reconsider their guidelines," said Anouk Pijpe of the Netherlands Cancer Institute, one of the study authors. "It may be possible to reduce the risk of breast cancer in (high-risk) women by using MRIs, so we believe physicians and patients should consider that."

The study was paid for by European cancer groups.

Lichtenfeld said the study wouldn't immediately change advice from the American Cancer Society but said concerned women should talk to their doctor about their options. "It's not possible today to make a blanket statement about what women (with the gene mutations) should do, but physicians and patients need to weigh the risks and benefits carefully," he said.

He also warned that women who need scans involving radiation shouldn't avoid them because of breast cancer fears.

"No one should think that they should never get an X-ray because they have the BRCA1 or 2 gene mutations," he said. "Just be careful that the X-rays you get are really the ones that you need."

article source: philstar.com

2nd breast cancer-stricken OFW from HK dies amid rising incidence of killer disease in city-state

MANILA, Philippines - Another member of the Hong Kong-based cancer support group has passed away.

Noemi Tolmo, who was one of the four Buhay Ka members recently featured by Interaksyon.com, died on August 1, according to a Facebook account set up by her former colleagues in Hong Kong. She was 49 years old.

“Nag-text ang kapatid na lalaki ni Noemi na si Teodoro Tolmo, (to) inform us na namatay si Noemi noong August 1, 2012 at 12:45 a.m.,” said the post by Filmcass HK.

[Noemi's brother Teodoro Tolmo texted to inform us that Noemi died on August 1, 2012 at 12:45 a.m..]

Only last month, another Buhay Ka member, Nida Ampaguey, also passed away 20 days after coming home from Hong Kong. Ampaguey also succumbed to breast cancer after working in Hong Kong for two decades.

Rising incidence of breast cancer in HK

Breast cancer has become the most common cancer affecting women in the city-state since 1993, according to the Hong Kong Breast Cancer Foundation.

The foundation said that cases of female breast cancer in Hong Kong had doubled to 2,945 in 2009 from 1,152 in 1993.

"On average, about 8 women are diagnosed with breast cancer every day. The number of male cases has also increased from 4 to 17," the foundation said.

The lifetime breast cancer risk for females in the ciyt-state is 1 in every 19. In 2009, 60 percent of the women in Hong Kong diagnosed with the disease were aged 40-59.

"The older the age, the greater the risk," the foundation said.

"Young people are not immune from the disease. The youngest case reported was below 20 years old," it added.

Interview with Tolmo before she died

Interaksyon.com was able to interview Tolmo on the phone last June in her home in General Santos City. One of the pioneers of the cancer support group when it was founded by running priest Fr. Robert Reyes in 2007, Tolmo returned to the Philippines only in March this year.

She worked in the former British territory for 20 years as a domestic worker where she was diagnosed with breast cancer. After five years, the cancer metastasized to her bones and liver.

During the interview, Tolmo said she had a very supportive employer but she decided to go home because she felt that she had become a burden to them.

“Pinipilit ako ng mag-asawa (na huwag umuwi). Pero ayaw kong maging pabigat. Naisip ko pag bigla akong namatay mas malaki ang gastos nila sa akin. Umiiyak siya (amo) at naisip ko pa daw sila,” said Tolmo who practically raised all of her employer’s three children.

[The couple insisted that I stay. But I didn't want to be a burden to them. I thought that if I suddenly die, they would spend a lot for me. My boss cried because I could still think of their welfare.]

When she was diagnosed with cancer, her employer even brought Tolmo's husband to Hong Kong so he could have a job there and also take care of his wife.

However, Tolmo’s husband only created problems for Noemi prompting her to send him back home.

It's expensive to get sick

Before she succumbed to cancer, Tolmo had only one chemotherapy session in a General Santos hospital because of money problems. She paid a total of P80,000 for that single procedure in April, but back in Hong Kong, she paid only HK$ 100 (less than P600) for a chemo session.

“Di ako makapaniwalang ganyan kabilis maubos ang pera dito. Sa four months ko dito 'yong dala kong pera wala na,” she complained.

[I could not believe that money here runs out that fast. In only four months, the money I brought with me was gone already.]

Because she could not continue her chemotherapy session, Tolmo resorted to taking oral drugs to ease the excruciating pain in her bones.

She was planning to sell their house in General Santos to pay for her medications.

“Hindi ko kaya ang sakit [I couldn't bear the pain],” were her last words during that interview.

source: interaksyon.com

Study: IVF in young women tied to later breast cancer

Women who go through in vitro fertilization (IVF) early in life are at a higher risk of developing breast cancer compared to those who don't undergo the treatment, suggests a new study.

The findings, however, cannot determine whether IVF contributed to the cancers or whether something else could explain the link.

"I don't think it's a huge increased risk that you should worry or panic (about)," said Louise Stewart, the study's lead author and a researcher at the University of Western Australia in Crawley.

She added, however, that her findings did show a link between the two and doctors should keep that in the back of their minds.

For the new study, Stewart and her colleagues collected information on 21,025 women between the ages of 20 and 40 years old who went through fertility treatment at the hospitals of Western Australia between 1983 and 2002.

They were able to piece together enough data to follow the women for some 16 years to see if they developed breast cancer.

When all the women were analyzed together, the researchers did not see an overall link between IVF and breast cancer.

Roughly 1.7 percent of the 13,644 women who only had fertility drugs without IVF ended up developing breast cancer by the end of the study. That figure was about two percent for women who got fertility drugs and IVF - a difference the researchers say isn't statistically significant.

When they divided the women into two different age groups, however, that changed.

Women who started taking fertility drugs around their 24th birthday and went through IVF had a 56 percent greater chance of eventually developing breast cancer compared to those in the same age group who only went through fertility treatments without IVF.

Meanwhile, there was no increased risk for women who started fertility treatments when they were about 40 years old, regardless of whether they had IVF or not, according to findings published in Fertility and Sterility.

Stewart told Reuters Health that the most likely reason the younger women see an increased risk of breast cancer is that they are exposed to higher levels of circulating estrogen during their cycles of IVF treatment.

"The development of breast cancer is linked to estrogen exposure and the longer one is exposed, the greater the risk," said Dr. Linda Giudice, president-elect of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine, in a statement.

"In an IVF cycle, there is a short, but significant elevation in circulating estrogen, and whether this is linked to the observations found in this study is not clear at this time," Giudice said.

Stewart added, another explanation could be that younger women who undergo IVF may be different in some significant way from those who only have other types of fertility treatments.

"If, for example younger women who had IVF were more likely to have a specific cause of infertility, and this was related to an increased risk of breast cancer, then it would appear that IVF was related to breast cancer when in fact it was the type of infertility that was more common in women who had IVF," Stewart explained.

She emphasized that this is "just speculation," and the data used in the study didn't include information about the women's causes of infertility. She also said that the current study's results need to be confirmed by future research.

Giudice, who was not involved with the new study, added, "Women should be reassured that, overall, IVF was not associated with an increased risk for development of breast cancer."

SOURCE: bit.ly/MDKsYi Fertility and Sterility, online May 28, 2012. IVF in young women tied to later breast cancer


Women who go through in vitro fertilization (IVF) early in life are at a higher risk of developing breast cancer compared to those who don't undergo the treatment, suggests a new study.

The findings, however, cannot determine whether IVF contributed to the cancers or whether something else could explain the link.

"I don't think it's a huge increased risk that you should worry or panic (about)," said Louise Stewart, the study's lead author and a researcher at the University of Western Australia in Crawley.

She added, however, that her findings did show a link between the two and doctors should keep that in the back of their minds.

For the new study, Stewart and her colleagues collected information on 21,025 women between the ages of 20 and 40 years old who went through fertility treatment at the hospitals of Western Australia between 1983 and 2002.

They were able to piece together enough data to follow the women for some 16 years to see if they developed breast cancer.

When all the women were analyzed together, the researchers did not see an overall link between IVF and breast cancer.

Roughly 1.7 percent of the 13,644 women who only had fertility drugs without IVF ended up developing breast cancer by the end of the study. That figure was about two percent for women who got fertility drugs and IVF - a difference the researchers say isn't statistically significant.

When they divided the women into two different age groups, however, that changed.

Women who started taking fertility drugs around their 24th birthday and went through IVF had a 56 percent greater chance of eventually developing breast cancer compared to those in the same age group who only went through fertility treatments without IVF.

Meanwhile, there was no increased risk for women who started fertility treatments when they were about 40 years old, regardless of whether they had IVF or not, according to findings published in Fertility and Sterility.

Stewart told Reuters Health that the most likely reason the younger women see an increased risk of breast cancer is that they are exposed to higher levels of circulating estrogen during their cycles of IVF treatment.

"The development of breast cancer is linked to estrogen exposure and the longer one is exposed, the greater the risk," said Dr. Linda Giudice, president-elect of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine, in a statement.

"In an IVF cycle, there is a short, but significant elevation in circulating estrogen, and whether this is linked to the observations found in this study is not clear at this time," Giudice said.

Stewart added, another explanation could be that younger women who undergo IVF may be different in some significant way from those who only have other types of fertility treatments.

"If, for example younger women who had IVF were more likely to have a specific cause of infertility, and this was related to an increased risk of breast cancer, then it would appear that IVF was related to breast cancer when in fact it was the type of infertility that was more common in women who had IVF," Stewart explained.

She emphasized that this is "just speculation," and the data used in the study didn't include information about the women's causes of infertility. She also said that the current study's results need to be confirmed by future research.

Giudice, who was not involved with the new study, added, "Women should be reassured that, overall, IVF was not associated with an increased risk for development of breast cancer." — Reuters

source: gmanetwork.com