“That Word, Cancer”: Breast Care Behavior of Hispanic Women in New Mexico—Background and Literature Review

Comparison of mammography behaviors, health beliefs, and fear levels of women with and without familial breast cancer history

This comparative descriptive study compared mammography behaviors, health beliefs, and fear levels of Turkish women aged 40-69 years, who had or did not have a familial breast cancer history (FBCH). The sample included first-degree female relatives (n = 350) of 220 female patients who had received breast cancer treatment at Akdeniz University Hospital and first-degree female relatives of women who did not have a FBCH (n = 300) who had applied to a Family Health Center (FHC) in Antalya. Data were collected between October 2015 and March 2016. The percentage of women who regularly had a mammography was 38% in women with a FBCH and 15.3% in women without a FBCH. Women with a FBCH had higher susceptibility, seriousness, health motivation, mammography self-efficacy perception, and fear of breast cancer, and lower perception of mammography barriers than women without a FBCH. The frequency of having mammography in women with and without a FBCH increased with increased susceptibility perception and was higher in women with a FBCH than in women without a FBCH. Additionally, being single increased mammography screening behavior in those with FBCH. Trainings on screenings should emphasize risks of breast cancer and mammography barriers of the married ones should be reduced.

Safflower polysaccharide inhibits the proliferation and metastasis of MCF-7 breast cancer cell

Breast cancer accounts for 22.9% of all types of cancer in females worldwide. Safflower polysaccharide (SPS) is an active fraction purified from safflower petals (Carthamus tinctorius L). The present study investigated the effects of safflower polysaccharide on the proliferation and metastasis of breast cancer cells. Cell viability was analyzed using an MTT assay following treatment of the MCF‑7 cells with increasing concentrations of SPS. The results demonstrated that the SPS compound significantly inhibited the proliferation of the MCF‑7 human breast cancer cell line and these inhibitory effects increased in a dose‑ and time‑dependent manner. The half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) value of SPS on breast cancer cells, following treatment for 72 h, was detected using an MTT assay and was calculated as 0.12 mg/ml. The apoptotic rate was detected using flow cytometry in the MCF‑7 human breast cancer cell line and the results revealed that SPS induced cell apoptosis. The apoptotic rate of the MCF‑7 cells treated with SPS was significantly higher compared with that of the untreated cells and increased in a dose‑dependent manner. The expression of B‑cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl‑2) was downregulated and the expression of Bcl‑2‑associated X protein was upregulated in the MCF‑7 cells treated with SPS in a time‑dependent manner. Additionally, the expression of matrix metalloproteinase‑9 was significantly reduced and the expression of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase‑1 was increased in the MCF‑7 human breast cancer cell treated with SPS. These results demonstrated that SPS inhibited the metastasis of MCF‑7 breast cancer cells and understanding the underlying mechanisms may provide novel strategies in breast cancer therapy.

The link between women's body image disturbances and body-focused cancer screening behaviors: a critical review of the literature and a new integrated model for women

A large body of literature demonstrates the association between body image disturbances and health compromising behaviors among women (e.g., pathological eating, substance use, inappropriate exercise). However, given that disturbed body image is a pervasive problem, it is likely inversely related to health maintenance behaviors. Cancer screenings for breast, skin, and cervical cancer represent an important type of health maintenance behavior, yet adherence rates are low. Given the body-focused nature of these screenings, body image may be a salient predictor. This paper reviews the literature on the relationship between body image disturbances and cancer screening behaviors among women culminating in the proposal of a theoretical model. This model posits that body shame and body avoidance predict performance of cancer screenings and that variables drawn from the cancer literature, including risk perception, health anxiety, subjective norms, and self-efficacy, may moderate this relationship. Clinical implications and suggestions for research are discussed.