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Breast Cancer Statistics

blondeyy — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 05:42:44 -0700

Breast cancer incidence in women in the United States is 1 in 8 (about 13%).
In 2008, an estimated 182,460 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in women in the U.S., along with 67,770 new cases of non-invasive (in situ) breast cancer.

About 1,990 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in men in 2008. Less than 1% of all new breast cancer cases occur in men.

From 2001 to 2004, breast cancer incidence rates in the U.S. decreased by 3.5% per year. One theory is that this decrease was due to the reduced use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) by women after the results of a large study, called the Women’s Health Initiative, were published in 2002. These results suggested a connection between HRT and increased breast cancer risk.

About 40,480 women in the U.S. are expected to die in 2008 from breast cancer, though death rates have been decreasing since 1990. These decreases are thought to be the result of treatment advances, earlier detection through screening, and increased awareness.

For women in the U.S., breast cancer death rates are higher than those for any other cancer besides lung cancer.

Besides skin cancer, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among U.S. women. More than 1 in 4 cancers are breast cancer.

Compared to African American women, white women are slightly more likely to develop breast cancer, but less likely to die of it. One possible reason is that African American women tend to have more aggressive tumors, although why this is the case is not known. Women of other ethnic backgrounds - Asian, Hispanic, and Native American - have a lower risk of developing and dying from breast cancer than white women and African American women.

As of 2008, there are about 2.5 million women in the U.S. who have survived breast cancer.

A woman’s risk of breast cancer approximately doubles if she has a first-degree relative (mother, sister, daughter) who has been diagnosed with breast cancer. About 20-30% of women diagnosed with breast cancer have a family history of breast cancer.

About 5-10% of breast cancers are caused by gene mutations inherited from one’s mother or father. Mutations of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes are the most common. Women with these mutations have up to an 80% risk of developing breast cancer during their lifetime, and they often are diagnosed at a younger age (before age 50). An increased ovarian cancer risk is also associated with these genetic mutations. Men with a BRCA1 mutation have a 1% risk of developing breast cancer by age 70 and a 6% risk when they have a BRCA2 mutation.

About 90% of breast cancers are due not to heredity, but to genetic abnormalities that happen as a result of the aging process and life in general.

The most significant risk factors for breast cancer are gender (being a woman) and age (growing older).

www.breastcancer.org

Christina Applegate Is Ready to Fight

FitSugar — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 04:30:42 -0800

When the new guidelines for breast exams came out late last year, I admit that I was surprised. They were announced just as National Breast Cancer Awareness month was ending: women in their 40s should no longer have annual mammograms, and women between the ages of 50-74 should have one exam every other year. The United States Preventive Services Task Force also recommended that doctors stop teaching women how to examine their own breasts.

The panel defended its choice by stating that the harm of early testing far outweighs the benefit. The research it looked over indicated that mammograms produce false-positive results in about 10 of cases, which leads to more tests, anxiety, and unneeded treatments like chemotherapy, radiation, or surgery. According to the study, early screening did little to prevent breast-cancer-related deaths or mastectomies in younger women.

To hear what breast cancer survivor and actress Christina Applegate thinks of the new testing guidelines, read more.

It wasn't surprising that this announcement sparked a huge debate on both sides. The American Cancer Society vehemently opposes the new guidelines and says that routine mammograms are key in detecting early cancer and preventing mastectomies and breast-cancer-related deaths.

Recently Christina Applegate added to the debate, saying this about the issue:

"Don't even get me started. Look, I just started to sweat. I get a little angry. I don't mind being outspoken about that. I think that is the most atrocious thing that I've ever heard. I was 36 years old when I had breast cancer, and you're going to have people wait until like their 50 to get screened? It irks my whole body. I'm telling you it's not going to happen. We women will fight against that as much as we can."

It's clear that this debate will continue to pick up steam on both sides - it will also be interesting to see if these new guidelines change current health insurance policies. How do you feel about the new testing guidelines? Are you as upset as Christina? Share your thoughts with me in the comments section below.

Christina Applegate Is Ready to Fight

FitSugar — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 04:30:42 -0800

To hear what breast cancer survivor and actress Christina Applegate thinks of the new testing guidelines, read more.

Recently Christina Applegate added to the debate, saying this about the issue:

"Don't even get me started. Look, I just started to sweat. I get a little angry. I don't mind being outspoken about that. I think that is the most atrocious thing that I've ever heard. I was 36 years old when I had breast cancer, and you're going to have people wait until like their 50 to get screened? It irks my whole body. I'm telling you it's not going to happen. We women will fight against that as much as we can."

10 to do's for Breast Cancer Awareness Month

GrandEntrance — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 01:19:34 -0700

Learn more about a "smart bra," this device incorporates a series of microwave antennae to detect temperature changes in the breast that point to early stage breast cancer..
Breast Cancer Awareness Month: free exams for those who qualify.If you are a woman age 40 and older, uninsured, with an income at or below 200% of the federal poverty level, you may qualify for this program.Call 1-800-511-2300 Monday - Friday from 8:30 AM to 5 PM for more information.
Host a Breast Cancer Fundraising Event, like a walk,run,or bike in your neighborhood
Purchase pink ribbon pins, keychains, t-shirts or other related items and give to your co-workers,friends,family and neighbors as a support reminder.
Visit a Breast Cancer Survivors Group and show your support for them. Search for "Breast Cancer Survivors" in your area. Or read survivor stories online
For the Month of October,2009 use Pink Ribbons Graphics, in your emails, letters, etc.,
Educate yourself . Period
Wear a Pink Outfit . .

>> continued to support Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Lumpectomy Procedure

blondeyy — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 05:33:01 -0700

******I have been home now since 10:30 yesterday morning. I am feeling VERY sore, but I have a lot of pain medication. I have a nice 'nest' set up with my cozy p.j.'s, lots of blankets and my laptop and my dressing changing materials. So, I am not sure if it is the pain medicine making me so emotional or just the whole ordeal and that it is finally over. In any case, I wanted to share some of this important information with all of you. I may not be on very much today - very sleepy. But, with the pain meds, I may be up to it. It helps to keep my mind busy. I wanted to share this information as I never thought "It could happen to me" and I believe most women think that way, and I want to show that with a positive mind and emotional support and INFORMATION you CAN get through this.

Learn what to expect during a lumpectomy, and how to care for yourself during recovery. Be prepared to deal with health insurance, anesthesia, surgical dressings and drains. Learn some tips for self-care during recovery from your lumpectomy.

Lumpectomy Preserves Your Breast
Lumpectomy is one type of breast-conserving surgery, and is usually done as an outpatient procedure. Your surgeon will remove just the breast lump and a margin of tissue around the lump. You will keep most of your breast, and you will have a scar at the incision site.

Your Pre-Operative Appointment
Before your lumpectomy, the hospital or surgical center may ask you to come in for a pre-operative appointment. It's a good idea to take time for this appointment, so you can get most of the paperwork out of the way before surgery, and ask questions that you may have. Bring your insurance card with you and identification such as a driver's license. Be prepared to make a payment to the hospital, or ask them what amount will be due on the day of surgery. Give the nurse a list of your current medications, and be prepared to answer questions about your health history. If you are allergic to particular medications, let them know. You may be asked to sign consent forms for the surgery as well as possible blood transfusions..

Questions to Ask Before Surgery - Make It Easy on Yourself
You can ask for pre-medication to prevent nausea and vomiting from the anesthesia, if you think that may be needed. A Scopolamine patch behind your ear can also help prevent nausea. Make sure that your request is noted in your chart. Ask questions about billing –- will the hospital, surgeon, and anesthesiologist bill you separately or inclusively? Will your health insurance be compatible with their services? If your insurance is not accepted by one of those providers, can a compatible provider be found for you? How should you dress on the day of surgery? Should you have a designated driver? Who should you call during recovery, if a problem comes up? Jot down the answers to these questions, so you can be prepared..

Preparing for a Lumpectomy
You will be required to avoid food and drink for 8 to 12 hours before surgery. When you arrive for surgery, you will check in and begin preparations. You will change into a hospital gown, and your own clothes will be stored. A nurse will take your vital signs. In some cases, your skin may be marked to indicate where the incision should be started. Your anesthesiologist will meet with you and talk about what anesthetic will be used, and you may be given pills (or a patch) to help prevent nausea. A nurse will start an intravenous line (IV) for fluids and anesthesia. The IV needle will be inserted in your hand or arm, and taped into place..

Related Procedures Before Lumpectomy
If your surgeon wants to check your lymph nodes during your lumpectomy, you will need to have lymphoscintigraphy in preparation for a sentinel lymph node biopsy. And if your breast lump is too small to be easily felt, a wire localization procedure may be done to help your surgeon locate and remove the lump.

During Your Lumpectomy
Most lumpectomies are done while you are under general anesthesia (asleep). Once the anesthesia is started, your surgeon will make the incision using a special heated scalpel. The heated scalpel cauterizes your tissue and helps prevent bleeding during your surgery. Your incision will be curved, following the natural contour of your breast, to allow it to heal properly. The breast lump will be removed along with a margin of tissue. The cancerous tissue is then sent to the pathology lab for examination. If needed, a surgical drain will be placed to help remove fluid that collects in your surgical site. Your incision will be closed with stitches or staples, and dressed (bandaged) to keep it clean, and apply pressure to the wound..

Recovery After Your Lumpectomy
While you are still under the effects of anesthesia, you will be moved to the Recovery room, where your vital signs will be monitored. Since a lumpectomy is usually done as an outpatient procedure, you will be given instructions on self-care, and allowed to return home. If you need special attention after the surgery, or if you've had other procedures done as well, you may be moved to a hospital room for the night..

Rest and Mend at Home
If you have been given pain medication, and feel the need for it, take it as directed. The pain will lessen, and soon you won't need the extra pills. Keep your bandages clean and dry. If required, wear a sports bra over the bandages, to maintain pressure over the incision. Follow your directions in caring for your surgical drain, if you have one. Rest while you are recovering, and plan on having someone do the lifting and driving for you until you feel back to normal. When your surgeon says its okay, start doing arm exercise to prevent arm and shoulder stiffness. Keep your follow-up appointments.

Re-Excision Ensures Clear Surgical Margins
After your lumpectomy, if the pathology report states that your lump has cancer cells in the margin of tissue around it, your surgeon may need to remove a bit more tissue. This is done to ensure that all of the cancer has been removed, and your risk of recurrence is lowered. This is a separate surgical procedure for removing extra marginal tissue, and it is called re-excision. If the re-excision will make your breast significantly smaller or undesirably shaped, your surgeon may ask if you would prefer a mastectomy, and possibly reconstruction.

American Cancer Society. Detailed Guide: Breast Cancer. Surgery for Breast Cancer. Revised: 09/13/2007

SoCal 10-year-old coping with rare breast cancer

starangel82 — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 11:23:01 -0700

LA MIRADA, Calif. – Ten-year-old Hannah Powell-Auslam said she's trying to remain brave as she battles an extremely rare, adult form of breast cancer that led to a mastectomy.

"I feel like a kid inside but sometimes I feel like an adult, when I'm always at the hospital," Hannah told ABC's "Good Morning America" in an interview that aired Wednesday. "I'm a kid fighting an adult disease."

The fifth-grader at Escalona Elementary School in this Los Angeles bedroom community complained of itching in her side in April. Her mother discovered a lump, and that led to a diagnosis of breast cancer - an extremely rare adult form.

Hannah had a mastectomy May 7 and has begun several rounds of chemotherapy.

"You feel like you're sick all the time. You just want to go lay in bed," she said.

The show filmed Hannah at home getting her head shaved rather than waiting for chemotherapy to take its toll. Other family members got buzz cuts, too, in solidarity.

"I might be just a little bit afraid. I love my hair. I worked so hard to grow it," Hannah said before the event.

Asked if she felt brave, Hannah nodded firmly.

"Feel brave all the time," she said.

After her haircut, the event became a giggly party as Hannah tried on new hats.

Source: Yahoo! News

Breast Cancer Awareness eye look

CCee — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 14:00:29 -0700

Hi everyone,

It's still Breast Cancer Awareness month and I wanted to do a look for this. We have a friend of the family who had breast cancer 15 years ago and she's thankfully still alive. I believe all the women supporting friends and/or fighting (breast)cancer should get all the support in the world.

Final eye:

I was in somewhat of a hurry the morning I had this look (I did take off the breast cancer sign before leaving the house), so this is an eye that doesn't take a lot of time and is very shimmery.

Products in this picture
- Neutrogena, PureGlow - Cleansing Cushions
- Benefit, Firmology
- Neutrogena, PureGlow - Eyecream

Preparation
I started by cleaning my face with the cleansing cushions and taking it off with very cold (brrrr) water. I then moisturized with a PureGlow Eyecream and Firmology.

Products in this picture:
- Smashbox, Hybrid 2 in 1 - Luminizing Primer
- YSL, Teint Parfait - no. 3 Champagne
- Sephora, Concealer Palette
- Urban Decay, Eye Shadow Primer Potion
- Bourjois, Kohl Pencil - Cafe & Creme
- Bourjois, Kohl Pencil - Noir & Blanc
- GOSH, Effect Powder - Meringue
- Barry M, Dazzle Dust - dd84 Cherry red
- Smashbox, Wicked Lovely line - Eye Shadow Duo Sexy/Demure
- Max Factor, Masterpiece Mascara (with the pink duotone)
- Urban Decay, Face Case - Side Show (Grifter)
- Mark Cosmetics, Lipgloss - Blow Kisses
- Sephora, Eyelashcurler
- Sephora Brand Professionnel, All Over Shadow Brush - Large no. 21
- Smashbox, Definer Brush - no. 15
- Unknown Brand, Mascara wand
- Da Vinci, Eyeliner brush

Face
When preparing for makeup, I've always used a primer under my foundation ever since I found a great primer in Photo Finish (Smashbox). The look I posted before this I didn't use a foundation primer and my skin started to shine halfway through the day, so I'm all for primer again with this look. The primer I used here was the Hybrid 2 in 1, which gives a soft glow to the skin, followed by YSL Teint Parfait in no. 3 which also has a shimmer to it. This is not a foundation, but my skin wasn't in need of foundation so I skipped it. Using only some of the Concealer Palette to hide a little discolouration under my eyes.

Eyes
On my eyes I used Primer Potion as a base and over this is used (all over my eyelid) the creme colour from the Bourjois Cafe & Creme Kohl. Over this I used some of the white from the Noir & Blanc kohl under the arc of my brow and on the inner corner of my eyes. See here the unblended white:

Blend this well using your fingers!

As a shimmer all over and under my eyes I used Meringue with the All over shadow brush. This creates a shimmer all over and around the eye, very ice-lady
Over the places where I put the white before I used the light pink from the Smashbox Eye Shadow Duo in Sexy/Demure. This is slightly lighter, adding some depth and lightness to the eye. Taking the no. 15 Definger brush I brushed some Grifter (a light shimmery purple) in my crease. I really faded it out but made sure there was a thick layer of Grifter, because the next step was adding a little Dazzle Dust in Cherry Red to the centre of the crease. If you blend this really well the hard pink edge fades and the purple underneath becomes more pink.
I also took the thin liner brush and the same dazzle dust to draw the Breast Cancer ribbon on my cheek?

At this point I curled my lashes and added 2 coats of the Masterpiece Mascara pink side. I also brushed my brows into place.

Lips
On my lips I used Mark lip gloss in Blow Kisses

With a Tiny Bit of Cancer, Debate on How to Proceed

tdsollog — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 09:34:04 -0700

With a Tiny Bit of Cancer, Debate on How to Proceed
Mary K. Sidawy/Georgetown University Hospital
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/03/health/03canc.html?oref=login
Published: June 3, 2008
In a cancer patient, lymph nodes are the closest thing to a crystal ball. Gaze into them after removing a tumor. The presence of malignant cells may be a sign that the cancer will recur, leading to more tests and intensive treatment.

NEW INSIGHT A more sensitive analysis of a lymph node shows cancer cells, even a single cell toward the left, that would not be seen using the standard staining process.
As biopsies of the lymph nodes grow more sophisticated and sensitive, oncologists and patients face the unsettling question of what to do with a little bit of cancer. It has become a familiar debate, especially for breast cancer, with no clear answer in sight.

“We can pick up things that we could never pick up before,” said Dr. Minetta Liu, an oncologist at the Georgetown University Medical Center. “But do we need to pick them up?”

Without more data to guide them, doctors worry that some women may be given test results that are actually too good, leading to more medical attention than necessary.

Pathologists have long examined lymph nodes - small grapelike bunches that are part of the immune system - to gain the best sense of whether a tumor, once gone, will reassert itself. If renegade cells become caught in the nodes, the tumor could also be setting up outposts in distant parts of the body.

As recently as the 1990s, doctors took 24 or so nodes to the laboratory for testing, slicing each one and looking for glimpses of cancer. But the more nodes a patient loses, the greater the likelihood of long-term side effects.

In recent years, doctors have tended to focus far more narrowly, on so-called sentinel nodes, the one or two most connected to the internal plumbing of the tumor.

Sentinel node biopsy is growing more and more popular among breast cancer surgeons. The procedure was used in more than 50 percent of patients by 2005, up from about 10 percent in 1998.

Along the way, the field has grown more refined. In one new approach, part of the node is dropped into a high-tech blender, and its genetic material is sifted by computer for signs of cancer.

Now that pathologists have fewer nodes to consider, they have more time to section the tissue. It is as if, after years of skimming a book, doctors could peruse entire chapters. The problem is that the more carefully you read, the less you may know.

“When someone has a very small amount of tumor, what is their actual risk?” asked Dr. Hiram S. Cody III of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. A tiny bit of cancer could mean that a tumor is going to reignite. Or it could mean very little.

The presence of these so-called micrometastases, and other wisps of tumor too small to count as full-fledged metastases, has been documented in lymph nodes for decades. But only with the popularity of sentinel node testing has the question of micrometastasis entered everyday medical practice.

“Because they are looking at fewer nodes, they can look more carefully,” said Brenda K. Edwards, associate director for surveillance research at the National Cancer Institute.

Dr. Edwards and her colleagues recently found that diagnoses of breast cancer with micrometastatic lymph-node involvement began to increase markedly after 1997 and that it shows no signs of leveling off.

Nowhere are discussions of micrometastases more animated than with breast cancer, where 86 percent of sentinel node biopsies are performed. Scientists are trying to determine whether micrometastases have any effects on survival.

Research is divided, and all the studies have had built-in shortcomings. In The Journal of Clinical Oncology in April, Dr. Cody described a study that looked back at 368 patients from the 1970s. The researchers retrieved stored lymph nodes from the women, examined them for micrometastases and checked to see how the patients had fared.

He and his colleagues found that women with micrometastases did have a slightly worse survival rate than women without any cancer in the nodes. But there are important caveats. Through earlier detection, doctors are diagnosing smaller tumors that are presumably less advanced and less likely to be deadly. Also, none of the subjects received chemotherapy, which has become far more effective in the last 30 years. And the study looked at all nodes, not just the one or two in the sentinel position.

Newer data come from researchers at the John Wayne Cancer Institute in Santa Monica, Calif., home to some of the earliest studies on sentinel node biopsy. Unlike the women in Dr. Cody’s study, these 790 patients underwent chemotherapy and would have received diagnoses on a scale more aligned with modern mammography.

At the annual San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium in December, researchers reported that women with just micrometastatic cancer in their lymph nodes survived as long, on average, as those with clear nodes.

The problem with that study is that those women and their doctors knew whether micrometastases had been found in their lymph nodes, and that probably influenced the course of treatment.

“We don’t have good answers at this point,” said Dr. Nora Hansen of the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University, who reported the results.

Other researchers from the John Wayne Institute recently examined breast cancer statistics from 1992 to 2003. They compared how the extent of cancer found in lymph nodes predicted survival.

Writing in December in The Annals of Surgical Oncology, the researchers reported that women with micrometastatic cancer in a sentinel node had a survival rate slightly poorer than women without cancer in the nodes, but better than women with greater node involvement.

Doctors predict that the best insight will come from two national studies involving thousands of participants in which neither the women nor their doctors know about the presence of micrometastases. But those studies are not expected to produce results for years.

So until the issue is settled, oncologists will have to navigate patients through complicated choices. One is whether a node that is positive for micrometastases warrants removing more nodes.

This is no small matter. Women who have been treated for breast cancer often report years of swelling and tightness in the arms just from lymph node removal.

The second dilemma is whether a little cancer is worth a lot of anxiety. Even knowing that its significance is unclear, cancer in a lymph node, no matter how minuscule, can be alarming.

“It’s a hard point for medical oncologists to walk away from,” said Dr. Thomas B. Julian of the Allegheny Cancer Center in Pittsburgh, a leader of one of the two trials that may provide better guidance. “In most centers across the United States, they will treat you for that positive node.”

Dr. Julian and others say that without better answers, micrometastases will continue to affect each doctor and patient differently. Some women, especially younger ones, may want more aggressive treatment, no matter what. Others may decide that the increased risk posed by a micrometastasis is too small and too uncertain to worry about.

And all of them will await the day when medical science does a better job of predicting the future.

Keith Urban sings on the phone to cancer survivour

scotlandrulz — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 15:01:10 -0800

This is so cute: Keith Urban sings "Stupid Boy" on the phone to a female fan who is a cancer survivour!

nanonees sting cancer to death

samantha999 — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 11:16:03 -0700

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/6005311/Microscopic-nano...

Microscopic nanobees 'sting cancer tumours to death'

Microscopic "nanobees" that literally sting tumours to death have been successfully used to fight cancer by researchers in America.

Published: 10:00PM BST 10 Aug 2009

The US scientists unleashed swarms of the tiny artificial particles on human breast and skin tumours in mice.
Each spherical "nanobee", measuring just three millionths of an inch across, was armed with a cancer-killing toxin found in bee venom.

Targeting cancer but not healthy cells, the nanobees delivered a lethal "sting".

The bee toxin, melittin, destroys cells by drilling holes through them.

After four to five injections of melittin-carrying nanobees over several days, the growth of breast cancer tumours in the mice was slowed by nearly 25 per cent.

Melanoma - or skin cancer - tumours shrank in size by 88 per cent.

Professor Samuel Wickline, from the Siteman Center of Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence at Washington University School of Medicine, said: "The nanobees fly in, land on the surface of cells and deposit their cargo of melittin which rapidly merges with the target cells.

"We've shown that the bee toxin gets taken into the cells where it pokes holes in their internal structures."

The nanobees are made of perfluorocarbon, an inert material used in artificial blood.

Dr Wickline's team has been investigating their use in various medical applications, including the diagnosis and treatment of narrowed arteries and cancer.

The nanoparticles are large enough to carry thousands of active compounds, yet small enough to pass easily through the bloodstream and attach to cell membranes.

Melittin injected directly into the bloodstream would cause widespread destruction of red blood cells.

But attached to the nanobees, blood cells and other tissues are protected from the toxin's effects.

None of the mice suffered "collateral damage" from the treatment and had normal blood cell counts and no signs of organ damage.

Once injected, the nanobees congregated in the cancers because solid tumours often have leaky blood vessels and tend to retain material. The same property explains how certain drugs attack cancers much more than normal tissue.

In addition, the scientists loaded the nanobees with special components designed to steer them to the right target.
One targeting agent was attracted to growing blood vessels which proliferate around tumours. When this was added to the nanobees, they were guided to areas of precancerous skin damage where the blood supply was rapidly increasing. As a result, the spread of precancerous skin cells was cut by 80 per cent.

Dr Paul Schlesinger, co-author, said: "Melittin has been of interest to researchers because in high enough concentration it can destroy any cell it comes into contact with, making it an effective antibacterial and antifungal agent and potentially an anticancer agent.

"Cancer cells can adapt and develop resistance to many anticancer agents that alter gene function or target a cell's DNA, but it's hard for cells to find a way around the mechanism that melittin uses to kill.

"Nanobees are an effective way to package the useful, but potentially deadly, melittin, sequestering it so that it neither harms normal cells nor gets degraded before it reaches its target."
Reporting their results in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, the scientists said nanobees had the potential not only of tackling established tumours, but also halting the development of early-stage cancer.

Prof Wickline said melittin was "easily and cheaply produced".
"We are now using a non-toxic part of the melittin molecule to hook other drugs, targeting agents or imaging compounds on to nanoparticles," he added.

Attaching imaging agents to the spheres could provide a visual indication of how much medication gets into tumours and what effect it has.

The flexibility of the nanoparticles meant they could readily be adapted to fit medical situations as they arise, said the scientists.
"Potentially, these could be formulated for a particular patient," said Dr Schlesinger. "We are learning more and more about tumour biology, and that knowledge could soon allow us to create nanoparticles targeted for specific tumours using the nanobee approach."