An invitation to Europe's largest forum on bre...( What is EBCC? The most exciting ...),Health

What is EBCC?

The most exciting breast cancer conference in Europe, it is the only one that involves all the major players in breast cancer. The conference encourages interaction and collaboration between clinicians, scientists and patients in a partnership of equals to talk not just about scientific advances, but also the ethical, social, political, and practical issues associated with caring for patients with breast cancer. EBCC-6 is expected to attract over 5000 delegates from around 90 countries worldwide.

Here is a sample of the new results to be announced at the conference (embargoed to time of presentation at EBCC-6):

• Hereditary breast cancer a high cost to patient and healthcare provider alike; why women may choose prophylactic mastectomy rather than go through years of stressful screening programmes

• How obese women are doubly disadvantaged; they do worse in both breast cancer treatment and diagnosis

• MRI before surgery can lead to better adapted treatment for breast cancer; should this become a standard procedure"

• Pregnant patients lose out in breast cancer treatment; a new approach is needed

• New chemotherapy combo produces side effects, but no extra efficacy, in early breast cancer patients

• Are aromatase inhibitors associated with increased heart problems" Important new evidence

• New type of drug shrinks primary breast cancer tumours significantly in just six weeks; research provides leads to a new target in breast cancer treatment the stem cell

• Chemotherapy for metastatic breast cancer: does it work best against sporadic tumours, or those associated with a BRCA1/2 genetic mutation"

• Breast cancer screening: is an annual mammogram better than a three-yearly one, and should women continue to be screened up to the age of 75" New evidence

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