What is Triple Negative Breast Cancer?

Triple-negative breast cancer is a type of invasive (infiltrating) ductal carcinoma (IDC) in which three of the most common receptors known to “fuel” breast cancer, estrogen, progesterone, and the HER-2/neu gene, are not present.Invasive ductal carcinoma starts in a milk duct, breaks through the wall of the duct, and invades the tissue of the breast. Invasive ductal carcinoma is the most commonly diagnosed breast cancer, accounting for about eight...

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Ensuring Quality Cancer Care

“We proudly note that the overall four-year survival for cancer patients is higher at Penn Medicine compared to the National Cancer Data Base (NCDB) survival rates. The greatest clinical care and groundbreaking therapies by our faculty and staff enhance not only survival, but also comfort patients, their families and friends.” - Chi V. Dang, MD, PhD, Director, Abramson Cancer Center At the Abramson Cancer Center, we are committed to providing the...

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Can Alcohol Consumption Increase My Risk of Breast Cancer?

Recent studies have shown alcohol is a leading cause of preventable cancer. In addition, The World Health Organization has labeled alcohol as the world's third largest risk factor for disease burden, saying it can cause neuropsychiatric disorders and other chronic diseases such as heart diseases, cirrhosis of the liver, and various cancers. It added that 30 percent of cancer deaths are caused by five behavioral and dietary factors, including high...

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"There Are Always Options at Penn" - Ken Shaw, Head and Neck Cancer Survivor

Ken Shaw could no longer ignore the swollen gland on the side of his neck. At first, he just brushed it off as part of a cold or sore throat, but as weeks went by and it wasn't getting better, he decided to have it checked out by his family physician in Woodbury, NJ. But he still wasn't worried. After all, Ken never smoked. He was 63, retired, and feeling good. However, when the biopsy came back positive for head and neck cancer, his doctor immediately...

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Cancer-Fighting Recipe: Anytime Crunch

The orange zest found in this "Anytime Crunch" provides an instant mood lifter as well as flavor elevator for your yogurt, cottage cheese or even your bowl of corn flakes.Granola is considered a calorie-dense food because it provides a significant amount of calories from fat, carbohydrates and protein in a small serving. This can be beneficial to someone trying to gain weight, but detrimental to someone trying to lose weight if they aren’t monitoring...

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Meet Rachel Kachnycz: Brain Cancer Survivor, Positivity Advocate

Rachel Kachnycz is a 24-year-old-woman from Ambler who, at 23, was diagnosed with brain cancer (grade III anaplastic astrocytoma). In this blog, she tells us about where she has come from, and how she is living her life full of positivity. Rachel blogs regularly at Live for Something. Hello, it’s nice to meet all of you. I am Rachel Kachnycz, a 24-year-old woman from Ambler, Pennsylvania.I started out my life under interesting circumstances. Both...

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Helping Someone Who Has Lost a Spouse to Cancer

Jessica Bemis is a full-time, working mom of two who lost her husband to testicular cancer in November 2011. Since then, Jessica has been sharing her story on her blog, Hope for Young Widows and working to bring awareness and hope to women and men who have lost their spouses to cancer. In this blog, she discusses ways in which friends and family can help after someone loses a spouse to cancer.Read Jessica's blog, and connect with her on Facebook...

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I Was Given Four Months To Live…More Than Three Years Ago

Jules B. Rauch, III, was diagnosed with stage 4 melanoma in 2004. Since then, his cancer has come and gone – but always came back with a vengeance. In 2010, he was told he had four months to live, but a clinical trial at the Abramson Cancer Center gave him hope to find his cure within. My health challenges began in 2004 at the age of 67. I was being treated for prostate cancer in Florida, and the nurse recommended I have the small, deep red spot...

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Cancer-Fighting Recipe: Coconut Curried Greens with Caramelized Onions

Kale, collards or any other of the variety of greens can be used in this recipe. The reason greens are considered a super food is that they are high in phytonutrients, antioxidants, have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. Remember though, there is no ONE super food. They all must be part of a balanced healthy diet.Curry can contain a dozen or more different spices but a prominent one is turmeric – which gives it the yellow colow. Tumeric...

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Digital Breast Tomosynthesis: More Accurate Images for Women with Dense Breasts

Breasts are made up of fatty tissue, fibrous tissue, and glandular tissue. Someone is said to have dense breast tissue (as seen on a mammogram) when they have more glandular and fibrous tissue and less fatty tissue.A number of factors can affect breast density, such as age, menopausal status, the use of drugs (such as menopausal hormone therapy), pregnancy, and genetics.According to a new report in the journal, Radiology, because women with dense...

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"I Feel Like I've Beat Cancer." - Carlette, Breast Cancer Survivor

Growing up, cancer was a common topic in Carlette Knox’s household. One of five daughters, Carlette’s mother was a two-time breast cancer survivor who eventually lost her fight with pancreatic cancer in 2011. Her father died of colon cancer, and many members of her family fought cancer in some form. Yet when Carlette felt a lump in her breast in fall of 2009 at the young age of 34, she blew it off hoping it would go away on its own. “At the time,...

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New York Times article on Universal Screening for BRCA1/2 cites the Basser Research Center’s Jewish Outreach Campaign

BRCA mutations are much more common in individuals of Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry, making population screening worth consideration.New York Times correspondent Roni Caryn Rabin reports on the issues associated with universal screening for BRCA mutations in Israel, noting the Basser Research Center for BRCA’s efforts to raise awareness of BRCA1/2 via a poster campaign in American synagogues.The Basser Research Center for BRCA at Penn Focuses on BRCA1...

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Dr. Susan Domchek, Basser Research Center for BRCA weighs in on BRCA Screening in the New York Times

The Basser Research Center for BRCA’s Dr. Susan Domchek weighs in on a BRCA question and answer session for the New York Times article on BRCA screening in Israel.BRCA mutations are more common in individuals of Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry, and carriers have increased risks for a variety of cancers, mainly breast and ovarian.The Basser Research Center for BRCA at Penn Focuses on BRCA1 and BRCA2The Basser Research Center for BRCA supports research on...

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Cancer-Fighting Recipe: Roasted Pears with Goat Cheese

This can be a meal in itself with a good whole grain bread. The recipe is simple yet elegant. Pears are high in fiber and Vitamin C. There is some evidence also that they may help decrease phlegm production.Walnuts are high in Omega 3 fatty acids and have some melatonin which may help with sleep.Though this recipe has cheese, which is very high in saturated fat, it is modest in the amount at only a half an ounce per serving.Honey might help to...

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Join the Abramson Cancer Center on Twitter

The Abramson Cancer Center is now on Twitter!If you use Twitter, follow the Abramson Cancer Center for conversation, updates about events at the Abramson Cancer Center, and cancer news and prevention information.Join us on Twitter here....

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What are Types of Breast Cancer Surgery?

Only you and your physician can decide what type of breast surgery is best to treat your cancer.Breast-conserving surgery removes only the part of the breast affected by cancer and a surrounding margin of normal tissue. How much tissue is removed depends on the size and location of the tumor and other factors. Partial mastectomy, quadrantectomy, and lumpectomy are all types of breast-conserving surgery.A mastectomy involves removing all of the breast...

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