Menopausal hormone therapy: assessing associations with breast and colorectal cancers by familial risk.

Menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) users are at increased breast cancer (BC) risk and decreased colorectal cancer (CRC) risk compared with never users, but these opposing associations might differ by familial risk of BC and CRC. We harmonized data from three cohorts and generated separate BC and CRC familial risk scores (FRS) based on cancer family history. We defined moderate/strong family history as FRS ≥ 0.

Considerations When Using Breast Cancer Risk Models for Women with Negative BRCA1/BRCA2 Mutation Results.

The performance of breast cancer risk models for women with a family history but negative BRCA1 and/or BRCA2 mutation test results is uncertain. We calculated the cumulative 10-year invasive breast cancer risk at cohort entry for 14 657 unaffected women (96.1% had an affected relative) not known to carry BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations at baseline using three pedigree-based models (Breast and Ovarian Analysis of Disease Incidence and Carrier Estimation Algorithm, BRCAPRO, and International Breast Cancer Intervention Study).

Risk-Reducing Oophorectomy and Breast Cancer Risk Across the Spectrum of Familial Risk.

There remains debate about whether risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy (RRSO), which reduces ovarian cancer risk, also reduces breast cancer risk. We examined the association between RRSO and breast cancer risk using a prospective cohort of 17 917 women unaffected with breast cancer at baseline (7.2% known carriers of BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations).

Age-specific breast cancer risk by body mass index and familial risk: prospective family study cohort (ProF-SC).

Background: The association between body mass index (BMI) and risk of breast cancer depends on time of life, but it is unknown whether this association depends on a woman's familial risk.

Methods: We conducted a prospective study of a cohort enriched for familial risk consisting of 16,035 women from 6701 families in the Breast Cancer Family Registry and the Kathleen Cunningham Foundation Consortium for Research into Familial Breast Cancer followed for up to 20 years (mean 10.5 years).

Do aromatase inhibitors have adverse effects on cognitive function?

Aromatase inhibitors are an important component of treatment for most postmenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive, early-stage breast cancer. Women taking aromatase inhibitors experience very low levels of circulating estrogen. This might be expected to result in cognitive dysfunction given the important relationship between estrogen and cognition in the basic science literature.

The comprehensive examination: a viable master's of science in nursing capstone course.

The purpose of this article was to describe the process of how The University of Toledo College of Nursing developed the comprehensive examination as one capstone option to fulfill the requirements of a master's of science in nursing degree. Based on Keating's frame factors model, a review of existing literature, and an informal review of master's programs in nursing in the geographic area, an assessment was made of the viability of offering a comprehensive examination as a capstone experience. Increased student enrollment, need for flexible courses, faculty and student demographics, and institutional and national accreditation requirements were some of the factors that led to the decision to develop a comprehensive examination as a capstone option.

Gene methylation in breast ductal fluid from BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers.

Purpose: Genomic alterations (including gene hypermethylation) are likely to precede the phenotypic changes associated with breast tumorigenesis. From a prospective collection of ductal lavage (DL) samples from women with a known mutation in BRCA1 or BRCA2, we have assessed promoter methylation with a comparison of results with several variables, including breast cancer (BC) outcome.

Experimental Design: Hypermethylation of p16, RASSF1A, twist, and RARbeta was assessed using a qualitative, real-time, nested PCR assay.