Abortion pill thwarts breast cancer gene

[deadparrot]

WASHINGTON - Scientists used the abortion drug RU-486 to keep tumors at bay in mice bred with a gene destined to give them breast cancer.

No one is suggesting women use the abortion pill that way. But the provocative experiment helped illustrate how the notorious breast cancer gene BRCA1 does its dirty work, by spurring a hormone called progesterone that RU-486 happens to block.

If researchers could create a safer hormone blocker, it might offer a long-awaited alternative for women with the bad gene. They have few good options today to prevent breast cancer.

"All of us have to be cautious," said cell biologist Eva Lee of the University of California, Irvine, who led the research published in Friday's edition of the journal Science. "But I do think if there is a better anti-progesterone available, hopefully there will be other options in the future for these women."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/breast_cancer

[waiting for hope]

1. Oh no - another nibble for

the RW fanatics to chew on. I love this one that they like to brand about -

As of 2006, eight medical organizations recognize that abortion raises a woman's risk for breast cancer, independently of the risk of delaying the birth of a first child (a secondary effect that all experts already acknowledge). An additional medical organization, the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, issued a statement in 2003 calling on doctors to inform patients about a "highly plausible" relationship between abortion and breast cancer. General counsel for that medical group wrote an article for its journal warning doctors that three women (two Americans, one Australian) successfully sued their abortion providers for neglecting to disclose the risks of breast cancer and emotional harm, although none of the women had developed the disease.

http://www.abortionbreastcancer.com/

Of Course.....The American Cancer Society had something to say:

Can Having an Abortion Cause or Contribute to Breast Cancer?

Both abortion and breast cancer are topics that can bring out strong emotions in people. The issue of abortion generates passionate personal and political viewpoints, regardless of a possible disease connection. Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women, and it can be a life-threatening disease that most women fear.

Linking these 2 topics understandably generates a great deal of emotion, as well as controversy. Research studies, however, have not found a cause-and-effect relationship between abortion and breast cancer.

http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_6x_Can_Having_an_Abortion_Cause_or_Contribute_to_Breast_Cancer.asp

I'm going to just sit back and wait for the fall out.


:popcorn:

[OzarkDem]

2. Chemoprevention isn't always a good thing

Giving healthy women drugs that can have serious and sometimes fatal side effects isn't always a good idea. Looks like they need to do more research on this one. Hormone blocking drugs can be harmful.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

5. I'm with you on research...

My hormones create enough havoc in their natural state. Before someone messes with that, I want to be sure they KNOW what they're doing.

[Occulus]

6. Suppose 'hormones creating havoc' is an abnormal state.

I think what we're looking for is hormone stability, but that would vary (possibly greatly) from person to person. Heh- try making a "proper dose" with those guidelines.

Still, this news will put a fox in among the hens with the pro-fetus crowd. :D

[GoddessOfGuinness]

7. Exactly...

I'm thrilled with the news; but I do worry that pharm companies are too quick to put stuff on the market without proper testing.

[OzarkDem]

10. There's often pressure

to get things on the market when they show early benefit in clinical trials, but its risky when FDA gives approval but doesn't know long term risks.

[mom cat]

3. I certainly hope that this leads to a breakthrough.

[silverweb]

4. Sweet!

So now the anti-choice militants not only can no longer say that having an abortion increases the risk of breast cancer -- but it now appears that the dreaded "abortion pill" may actually be an anti-breast cancer drug.

I love it! Chew on that, you stupid, lying, anti-choice, fundie freaks!

:rofl:

[leesa]

8. Might be a way to monitor progesterone levels in these women and intervene when they

begin to trend upwards, like PSA levels in men. This is a good find.

[noonwitch]

9. Wasn't that originally the purpose of RU-486?

They were researching it's uses in fighting breast cancer when they found out it caused miscarriages?