A relatively new test performed on a sample of a woman’s saliva can help identify her risk of developing breast cancer. The test, developed by Intergenetics, can identify genetic markers which show how likely a woman is to develop breast cancer. Armed with the results, women can work with their physician to create a care plan to help ensure early detection of potential breast cancer. The test, which is called Onca Vue, is covered by many major insurance companies.

[ Fox News Latino ]

A San Francisco-based surgeon released an infographic last week based on research revealing that 4.93% of women in the United States have undergone breast augmentation surgery, most surgeries occur on the West coast, and enough implants have been created since 1997 to fill the size of an Olympic-sized swimming pool. And that is just in the United States!

It’s not surprising that breast augmentation has become one of the top cosmetic surgery procedures for over a decade, but what’s interesting is that the procedure growth rate has been virtually recession proof for the past 20 years.

“There’s a reason that breast augmentation has been the number one cosmetic surgery—not just here in the U.S., but worldwide—for so long now,” said Dr. Brown. “As the high rate of patient satisfaction shows, this is a procedure that works. I hope this infographic serves as a helpful reference going forward, not only for other plastic surgeons, but for patients as well.”

[ From: drdonaldbrown.com ]

photo: EBbra

No folks, this is not an infomercial. The Emergency Bra is real – and it could save your life if faced with nuclear disaster.

Dr. Elena Bodnar won the 2009 Ig Nobel Public Health Prize for the Emergency Bra, an invention that doubles as a stylish bra and face mask. In the event of a disaster, simply unsnap the bra, separate the cups, slip one over your head, and slip one on to your partner.

The bra, which is now available for purchase online, came as a result of Bodnar studying the Chernobyl disaster in 1986. Bodnar found that “if people had had cheap, readily available gas masks in the first hours after the disaster… they may have avoided breathing in Iodine-131, which causes radiation,” reported Fox News.

“You have to be prepared all the time, at any place, at any moment, and practically every woman wears a bra,” she said.

Despite all the seriousness, Bodnar remained light-hearted in the video below of her Ig Nobel prize acceptance speech by removing her bra and demonstrating how the device works on fellow Nobel laureates:

And if you don’t feel like watching the whole speech, I believe the following quote sums up just how genius this invention is:

“Ladies and gentlemen, isn’t that wonderful that women have two breasts, not just one? We can save not only our own life, but also the life of a man of our choice next to us.”

Smart woman, eh?

[ From: salon.com ]

In new research being presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium Thursday, researchers from England assessed the impact of three different diets on the weight and insulin blood levels in 115 women. A third of the participants followed a calorie-restricted, so-called Mediterranean diet every day, while another third went on a diet that restricted carbs in addition to calories, but for just two days a week. A third group followed a low-carb diet two days a week as well, but they were allowed to eat unlimited protein and healthy fats.

“The take home message is that this potentially a very interesting approach for anybody concerned about weight or insulin,” said Dr. Michelle Harvie, Phd, a registered dietitian with the Genesis Prevention Center at the University Hospital in South Manchester, England. She cautioned, however, that the study is “quite preliminary” and relatively small.

[ Huffington Post ]

Scientists in the United States have developed a new vaccine which trains the immune system to attack proteins which aid in tumor growth. Although it works on mice, it may not work on humans, but it is hoped that the response is strong enough to translate.

This solution is unique because it is effective against “triple-negative tumors” which are resistant to traditional hormone therapy. The drug is currently being tested on human cancer cells in a lab. Clinical testing could begin in 2013.

[ Dawn ]