Swiss Cancer ResearchOctober is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October brings international attention to the prevention, research, and treatment of breast cancer. This issue is highly relevant: Every year, 6,500 women in Switzerland are diagnosed with it. The Swiss Cancer Research foundation supports several projects in the fight against this most common type of cancer in women. Here’s some insight into four of these projects.

Restoring Lympf FlowElisabeth Artemis Kappos never originally intended to become a surgeon. However, she found her calling in the operating room. Now, she is working on a global study to prove that the quality of life for breast cancer survivors can be improved with microsurgical techniques.

Increased Physical Activity, decreases Side EffectsChemotherapy drugs can damage the heart. Now, researchers have for the first time proven in humans that physical activity can protect against this damage.

Understanding and Preventing Metastasis GrowthThe process of tumor cells detaching happens in breast cancer often even before it is diagnosed. Therefore, in this disease, the focus should be less on preventing the spread of cells and more on inhibiting the growth of cells that have already spread.

Characterization of the Disease in Young Breast Cancer PatientsIn young women, the risk of breast cancer recurring, even 20 years after treatment has ended, is higher than in women who are diagnosed after the age of 40. Therefore, young patients should be monitored over a longer period of time than is currently standard, according to a study funded by the Swiss Cancer Research foundation.