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Showing posts with label breast cancer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label breast cancer. Show all posts
Friday, October 1, 2010
Monday, November 9, 2009
Can We Skip a Mammogram??
This blog entry is a bit different from my usual blog fare here, but I think it is important to side step the fun stuff occasionally to stay informed about topics that can be life saving!! We just left the month of October which is Breast Cancer Awareness month, but we as women should make every month Breast Cancer Awareness month and continue to stay informed 365 days a year!
The New York Times ran an interesting article last week in regards to ongoing data of the benefits of mammograms. For years physicians have been telling their patients that once you turn 40 you should be getting yearly mammograms to screen for breast cancer. That timetable is pretty standard unless you have a family history for breast cancer or are a carrier of the BRCA gene, in which they might even suggest mammograms every 6 months. Now, there are physicians that are going on record to state that this may not be as necessary as once thought. Dr. Laura Esserman, a breast surgeon from the University of California, San Francisco, has written an article on this ongoing debate in The Journal of the American Medical Association. In the article she discusses the issue of "who is helped and who is not" by such frequent mammography. Dr. Esserman says that women over 70 can stop being screened, due to the fact that in this particular age bracket tumors caused by breast cancer tend to be very slow growing and in most cases are not likely to be the cause of death. On the other hand woman in the age group of 50-70 there is good evidence that screening can reduce the risk of death from breast cancer by 20 percent to 30 percent. So this all sounds good right? Well, here is the gray area....what about the woman from 40-50? This is the group where the heat of the debate begins. Many feel that woman in this "gray area" are being "over treated" and "over diagnosed", by being exposed to excess radiation and unnecessary biopsies. She feels that the evidence benefiting screening women in that age bracket is lacking. Some physicians who agree with Dr. Esserman feel this can lead to a larger margin of false diagnosis and just additional stress on the patient.
Dr. Walden was on Fox News this weekend discussing this important topic, and I thought there were some great points made. First of all is know yourself! In other words, if you are in your 40's and you are post menopausal and on hormones, or if you have extremely dense breasts it is probably wise to make sure you are screened regularly. As always, Dr. Walden suggests that you follow the current recommendations of the American Cancer Society (yearly mammography one you hit age 40) and your personal physician first and foremost. BUT, it is always important to keep an ear to the ground and pay attention to the ongoing research on this topic. Anything that is going to keep us ladies ahead of this terrible disease is a step in the right direction, and I really believe an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure! So, until we find the cure for breast cancer let's always keep ourselves "in the know". Take a look at the Fox interview featuring Dr. Walden below.
Have a great Monday!!!
The New York Times ran an interesting article last week in regards to ongoing data of the benefits of mammograms. For years physicians have been telling their patients that once you turn 40 you should be getting yearly mammograms to screen for breast cancer. That timetable is pretty standard unless you have a family history for breast cancer or are a carrier of the BRCA gene, in which they might even suggest mammograms every 6 months. Now, there are physicians that are going on record to state that this may not be as necessary as once thought. Dr. Laura Esserman, a breast surgeon from the University of California, San Francisco, has written an article on this ongoing debate in The Journal of the American Medical Association. In the article she discusses the issue of "who is helped and who is not" by such frequent mammography. Dr. Esserman says that women over 70 can stop being screened, due to the fact that in this particular age bracket tumors caused by breast cancer tend to be very slow growing and in most cases are not likely to be the cause of death. On the other hand woman in the age group of 50-70 there is good evidence that screening can reduce the risk of death from breast cancer by 20 percent to 30 percent. So this all sounds good right? Well, here is the gray area....what about the woman from 40-50? This is the group where the heat of the debate begins. Many feel that woman in this "gray area" are being "over treated" and "over diagnosed", by being exposed to excess radiation and unnecessary biopsies. She feels that the evidence benefiting screening women in that age bracket is lacking. Some physicians who agree with Dr. Esserman feel this can lead to a larger margin of false diagnosis and just additional stress on the patient.
Dr. Walden was on Fox News this weekend discussing this important topic, and I thought there were some great points made. First of all is know yourself! In other words, if you are in your 40's and you are post menopausal and on hormones, or if you have extremely dense breasts it is probably wise to make sure you are screened regularly. As always, Dr. Walden suggests that you follow the current recommendations of the American Cancer Society (yearly mammography one you hit age 40) and your personal physician first and foremost. BUT, it is always important to keep an ear to the ground and pay attention to the ongoing research on this topic. Anything that is going to keep us ladies ahead of this terrible disease is a step in the right direction, and I really believe an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure! So, until we find the cure for breast cancer let's always keep ourselves "in the know". Take a look at the Fox interview featuring Dr. Walden below.
Have a great Monday!!!
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Christina Applegate bravely undergoes bilateral mastectomies for breast cancer and BRCA + gene
Christina Applegate's choice to bravely undergo a double mastectomy puts her in the company of a growing number of women taking aggressive steps to avoid dying of breast cancer. A recent article in USA Today states that studies show more patients are choosing mastectomies, even though women are just as likely to survive if they have smaller, breast-conserving surgeries.
Some of this growing trend has been spurred by technology: MRI scans that can detect smaller, earlier cancers; sophisticated genetic tests that can warn women of their inherited risks like the one Applegate was positive for. Newer techniques in plastic surgery for that makes more aggressive surgery more appealing (we are now able to do free flap reconstruction with the patients' own tissues to rebuild the breast, or use newer generation silicone gel implants after tissue expansion for reconstruction). There is no doubt that some women are opting for mastectomy because their fear of cancer and mortality looms larger than the immediate appearance of their breasts postoperatively. Federal legislation mandates insurance coverage of breast reconstruction after cancer so this is good for patients too.
Applegate, 36, was at high risk for breast cancer, both because her mother had the disease and because she carries a rare genetic mutation in a gene called BRCA-1, which increases the risk of developing aggressive disease at a young age--women with this gene have up to an 84% risk of breast cancer. Applegate told Good Morning America Tuesday that she had early-stage cancer in only one breast and underwent two lumpectomies, and she that opted for a double mastectomy after learning of the genetic mutation. Only about 5% to 7% of breast cancers carry these mutations.
Some women with the mutations opt to have preventive mastectomies even if they haven't been diagnosed with cancer given their high liklihood of developing breast cancer in one or both breasts in the future. A recent study in the International Journal of Cancer, for example, found 18% of women with the mutations took this approach. Applause for Christina Applegate for bringing public awareness to a disease that is diagnosed in 1 in 8 women. I wish her all the best in her recovery.
Every woman should remember to do monthly self-breast exams, mammogram starting at 40 or even earlier or with an MRI with a positive family history, and to consult with their doctor with any abnormal findings.
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