“Thousands turn out to fight breast cancer - Miami Herald” plus 4 more

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• Thousands turn out to fight breast cancer - Miami Herald
• A Pressing Engagement - Dalles Chronicle
• Video podcast: Natalie Jensen's "Heart and Music" - Denver Post
• Breast cancer screenings down - Spectrum
• Jenny Sanford done talking about marriage rift - The State

Thousands turn out to fight breast cancer - Miami Herald Posted: 17 Oct 2009 12:35 PM PDT More than 19,000 people converged on downtown Miami early Saturday to raise money -- and awareness -- for the fight against breast cancer. The sunny fall morning marked the annual Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. The 5K race-walk brought participants through downtown Miami, into the Brickell neighborhood and back to Bayfront Park for a celebration. Thousands turned out wearing pink, the signature color for breast cancer awareness. Last year, donations totaled more than $1.2 million. Organizers are hoping to top that figure this year. ``It's amazing,'' said Yaneisy Blanco, a spokeswoman for the local event. ``This is so much more than we expected.'' Three-quarters of the funds raised will go to treatment and screening programs in South Florida, Blanco said. ``We're raising awareness,'' she added. ``Everyday, more people know that breast cancer is affecting our community.'' This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

A Pressing Engagement - Dalles Chronicle Posted: 17 Oct 2009 12:14 PM PDT October 18, 2009 A Pressing Engagement A mammogram novice shares her experience on the machine By Kathy Ursprung The Chronicle Let me say up front, I'm not a good poster child for mammography. I've avoided this standard breast cancer screening test well past the recommended start time. Every year at my annual exam, my doctor would politely tell me it was time. I would just as politely nod my head and then put it out of my mind. On the one hand, cancer doesn't run in my family. As far as I know, none of my blood relatives have ever had breast cancer, or any other kind of cancer other than skin cancer, for that matter. On the other hand, I know I have a few of the risk factors — overweight, a former smoker and former birth control pill user among them — so I had as much reason to be concerned as the next person. The idea of putting my "girls" in something resembling a vise was less than appealing. But the deepest reason, I suspect, for not getting a mammogram is that it had the potential to tell me something I was afraid to know. I have nothing but admiration for the women who follow their doctors' orders and do this on an annual basis. In fact, I think they are proof that women are the tougher sex. Forget war and rectal examinations, if men were required to let their "boys" undergo a similar experience, I suspect the mere thought would send them running the other way. Women going in for their first mammogram are stepping up to a big unknown. We've all heard the fright stories. Women have a particularly colorful linguistic skill when they describe the effects of things like childbirth and breast exams. But are the stories true? Despite practicing my best avoidance skills for much of a decade, I was about to find out — in the interest of journalistic exploration, of course. I poke my head inside the door labeled "Mammography Services" at Mid-Columbia Medical Center (MCMC). April Wood greets me at the counter, wearing brightly printed scrubs and a reassuring smile. I barely have time to sit down in the comfortable waiting room wing chair before Donna Culp draws me through the door, leading me to a dressing room with instructions to trade my top for a medical cape. Donna is the radiological technologist who will be taking the digital images of my breasts. She's one of four such technologists at MCMC. Before taking the pictures, she asks me a few questions: Do I have a history of breast cancer? Do I have implants? Have I ever had breast surgery? No, no and no. "We're going to take a couple of pictures of each breast," Donna says. The digital mammography machine bears a slight, if modernized resemblance to the old photo print-making machines we used to use in the days of film photography, only my breast is going to be clamped into an immobile position on the tray instead of photo paper. Donna's job is to position this wobbly, jiggly material in such a way that all of the tissue is held firmly in place between the two clear plastic plates so that all the necessary tissue is on clear display, held immobile with no skin folds or blurs to distort the image. This is my baseline mammogram. It will be the starting image used for comparison with my future mammograms to determine if there are changes over time that raise concerns about developing cancer. I'm the beneficiary of improving technology at MCMC (see related story, page A3). Until August, all mammogram images were acquired using analog technology. In August, MCMC acquired two digital mammogram machines, which increase not only the speed of processing, but the imaging flexibility as well, including quicker magnification of areas of interest. I ask Donna about the stories I've heard. She ought to have the answers. She's been doing mammography for 15 of her 20 years at the hospital. She also does MRIs and x-rays. Is it harder to do mammograms on small-breasted women? I ask. "Not necessarily," she says. Some women's breasts are harder to read because they have denser breasts. "Some women's breasts stay dense all their lives," Donna says. Other women's breasts are less dense, or become less dense as fatty tissue replaces breast tissue over the course of time. I had no idea. "Each breast has different challenges," Donna says. "The hardest are the perky women who don't move at all. I can't easily move them around." There's not much problem with that where I'm concerned. I sling the first of the pair up on the plastic platform and Donna efficiently positions my breast for imaging. First comes a little BB marker attached to an adhesive pad, which she affixes to my nipple. The nipple is the dividing line that identifies top, bottom, inner and outer breast. She also uses adhesive paper rings to circle a couple of moles on my skin so they won't be mistaken for a nodule or mass inside the breast. She moves more than my breasts: the position of my back, attitude of my head and placement of my arm all affect the image quality. "I just try to get all the breast tissue I can," Donna says. Then she slowly tightens the top plate, flattening my breast into position. Like most women, I imagine, I'd worried about how much of this they'd have to do. If they wanted me to be a pancake, I was in big trouble. "Some women have the idea that when we do digital mammography there isn't any compression," Donna says. "That's not the case." Digital imaging does speed up the process, and reduces the amount of radiation exposure by 25 percent. The breast is compressed for several technical reasons: Compression provides higher image contrast and creates a more consistent breast thickness resulting in better image quality and less tissue overlap. It also decreases the radiation dose and results in shorter exposure times. The most important reason for compression is that it provides improved visualization of potential lesions by minimizing superimposed tissues. Thankfully, this isn't an implement of medieval torture. Donna tightens the plate firmly and I wince a little, but it's bearable, I think, and begin to breathe easier. Then she gives the knob another turn. Another wince, but it's one of discomfort, not pain. And the discomfort is as much from being in a slightly awkward position as it is from being squished. Once the image is taken, she lets me look over her shoulder at the computer screen. My gosh! Is that my breast? It looks enormous and balloonlike spread out on the plate. I look for any signs of future bad news, but have little clue what I'm looking at. Most of the image is dark, with blood vessels running throughout. A few small, whitish areas appear, which don't in any way match my idea of what a tumor would look like. Whatever might show up there, I won't be the one to find it. That's the top view, now it's time for the side-to-side view. Donna adjusts the platform position to somewhere around a 45-degree angle. This is the slightly more difficult image to acquire. Donna gets less help from gravity to hold my breast in place before compression. But it's quickly done, all the same, as is the other breast. The images look sharp and have the breast tissue they require, so they are transmitted over to the radiologist for interpretation. I follow them across the hospital for a first-hand look at what happens next. Dr. Paula Lee-Valkov is sitting in front of an array of large computer screens. She is the radiologist who will be interpreting my mammograms. She explains the process she goes through to develop the report that goes along with my images. The report form appears on a monitor to the left of the images. Paula uses a microphone and a voice recognition system to dictate her report. She turns her explanation to the images themselves. "No two breasts are the same," she says. "That's why there are nuances in interpretation." The process is as much art as science, she says. That's why having previous mammograms to compare is an important part of the process. "We read them from year to year, looking at changes over a period of time," Paula says. Radiologists classify breasts based upon their density or the amount of glandular tissue. "Fattier breasts are more favorable when you're looking for cancer," she said. The tissue isn't as dense and is therefore easier to read. Breast cancer can manifest in a variety of forms, Paula explains. "Most people think breast cancer is just a mass," she says, but it can come in a variety of forms; for example, "small calcifications or areas of architectural irregularity or asymmetry." If her evaluation identifies any of those conditions, the patient will be recalled for additional mammographic views and a possible ultrasound in the case of a mass or area of distortion. Ultrasound is a complementary imaging method and can help further in characterization of masses as benign or malignant. If a mass is determined to have any suspicious characteristics, the patient is scheduled for a biopsy. MCMC uses two kinds guidance for needle biopsy: the ultrasound-guided biopsy and the stereotactic biopsy, in which a guidance system similar to GPS is used to target tissue for testing. "Stereotactic biopsy is typically used for calcifications or masses which we can't see with ultrasound," Paula notes. Ultrasound-guided biopsies are described as a less invasive process, taking about a half hour and involving a small incision. "We can see the needle real time while we're getting a sample of the mass," she says. On biopsies, initial pathology results come back within two to three days. A patient who walks in Monday for a biopsy can expect to hear results by Thursday morning. "The pathologist may want to have additional staining that can take longer, but the preliminary results will be available," she says. In about one in 10 cases, mammography patients are called back for a second form of imaging as a way to bring more clarity to the evaluation, particularly following their first mammogram. In my case, after having my mammogram Friday afternoon, I received a call Monday morning asking that I come in Wednesday for a follow-up ultrasound. I made the appointment and tried not to think much more about it. I'd had an ultrasound prior to my daughter's birth so I knew it involved some gooey gel and an image that resembled the ebb and flow of an ocean tide. But I didn't know what Paula (Dr. Lee-Valkov) wanted another look at. Mammography is the gold-standard breast cancer screening test, but it misses up to 15 percent of cancers, Paula told me. No diagnostic imaging method is perfect. Ultrasound can provide an added perspective. "This is common," says sonographer Peggy Royston at my appointment Wednesday, "if they see something, they may want to check it out with an ultrasound." I don't have to wait long to find out if I can breathe easier, or if there's cause for further concern. Shortly after the ultrasound is over and the images transmitted to radiology, Paula comes into the room to share her findings. The areas on my mammogram she wanted to have an additional look at were the result of overlapping breast tissue, which can sometimes look like a mass. "But you'll still need to come back every year for a follow-up," Paula says with a smile. That will be a lot easier to do, now that I know what to expect. While I may still feel the uncertainty that comes from waiting for results, I now know that the tests themselves are bearable. For this year, I set aside any worries about my breast health. And all I can say in the final analysis is: "Whew!" This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

Video podcast: Natalie Jensen's "Heart and Music" - Denver Post Posted: 17 Oct 2009 11:59 AM PDT This week's video podcast: "Natalie Jensen's "Heart and Music" benefit concert Video by Ray Bailey. Run time: 11 minutes. For the second year, actor Natalie Jensen gathered more than 30 members of the local theater community for a remarkable and uplifting benefit concert to raise more than $5,000 to be split between the Susan G. Komen breast-cancer foundation and the Pikes Peak Region Peace Officers' Memorial. Jensen's husband, Jared Jensen, was a Colorado Springs police officer killed in the line of duty at age 30. She now has raised more than $11,000 in two years. Her efforts earned her a 2009 Denver Post "Special Accomplishment" Ovation Award. This year, "Heart and Music" was held Aug. 31 at the Fine Arts Center in Colorado Springs. The cast included a who-who from the Denver and Colorado Springs theater communities, including: Sarafina Bailey Joanie Brosseau-Beyette Erik Bryan Eryn Carman Rob Costigan Paul Dwyer Penny Dwyer Ericka Gasper Sam Gleason Michael Gold Brantley Haines Bob Hoppe Sally Hybl Natalie Jensen Jersey Shore Karla Kruse Nick Madson Shannon McMillan Ken Robinson Kelly Rodwell Kristen Samu Michelle Sergeeff Brian Smith Randy St. Pierre Clarissa Hope Stranske Halee Towne Rachel Turner Thad Valdez Carmen Vreeman Markus Warren Sharon Kay White ... and musicians: Mitch Samu Tag Worley Dave Hicks Sandi Shroads Jay Hahn Richard Clark Lori Gasper Charlie Villareal For more information on how to contribute to the Pikes Peak Region Peace Officers' Memorial, Click here. For more information on how to contribute to the Colorado Springs Komen Race for the Cure, Click here. This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

Breast cancer screenings down - Spectrum Posted: 17 Oct 2009 11:38 AM PDT ST. GEORGE - The turbulent economic climate may be contributing to a declining number of breast cancer screenings and examinations nationwide, but local medical experts hope to raise awareness about the importance of early detection. "Screening volumes across the country have decreased in the last year," said Aaron Brammer director of the Comprehensive Cancer Program at Dixie Regional Medical Center. "Prevention has a tendency to slip when times are hard." Among Utah women 40 and older, only 39.5 percent reported having a mammogram or clinical breast exam in the past year, representing the worst percentage in the nation, according to a 2006 American Cancer Society study cited in a Dixie Regional Medical Center news release. "I think it's embarrassing," Brammer said of the state's low number of screenings, and he fears many Utah women possess the misguided, "It can't happen to me" mentality when it comes to breast cancer. Every year, approximately 186,000 women and 1,800 men are diagnosed with breast cancer, according to the release, and Brammer said a the tepid economy is forcing a growing number of women to decide between receiving a mammogram or buying food and other essential items. Deb Christensen, the cancer care coordinator for the Huntsman-Intermountain Cancer Center at Dixie Regional Medical Center, said a growing number of uninsured and underinsured women are forgoing routine examinations and screenings. "Women in the low-income levels are more likely to have their breast cancer detected in advanced stage," Christensen said. "What I am seeing are more advanced stages of breast cancer detected due to women not getting their mammograms." If breast cancer is detected at an early stage and treated properly, women with the disease have a survival rate of more than 90 percent, according to the release, but the rate drops significantly if it is detected in a more advanced stage. "When cancer is found early, it is just so much more treatable," Christensen said. Christensen said women 50 to 64 enrolled in the Utah Cancer Control Program receive breast cancer screenings at little or no cost. As the second leading cause of cancer deaths among women, more than 41,000 people in the United States die as a result of breast cancer every year, according to the release. At age 40, women should receive annual mammograms and clinical breast exams, and women in their 20's and 30's should receive examinations at least every three years, according to the release. After receiving a mammogram screening Friday afternoon at the Intermountain River Road Clinic, Diane Downing, a 55-year-old Washington City Resident, said she began scheduling annual breast screenings at the age of 40, and she never misses her yearly appointment. "No one should ever put it off," she said. "It is such an easy procedure. I think everyone from the age of 40 on should definitely make an appointment every single year." This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

Jenny Sanford done talking about marriage rift - The State Posted: 17 Oct 2009 12:14 PM PDT "Things are going great," she said, after finishing the walk with her sister, Kathy Sullivan. When asked about her husband and reconciliation, she said "I think I've said all I need to say about that," adding that the reconciliation was personal. While Sanford remains at the Governor's Mansion in Columbia, Jenny Sanford is living with the couple's four sons in their beachside home on nearby Sullivans Island. She said Saturday was her first official public appearance since the controversy broke, but added, "I haven't been hiding." She said she would likely be doing more appearances in the future. "The family comes first," she said. "But subject to making sure everybody is OK, I'll do whatever I can." Jenny Sanford has released several statements but given only two extended interviews since news of her husband's affair - one to The Associated Press and a second to Vogue magazine. She has a contract for a memoir to be published next May and laughed she was "absolutely" keeping her story for the book. "I'm writing," she said. "Hopefully it will be a book that will be helpful to women and other folks throughout the country and I look forward to getting it out there." Jenny Sanford has long been a supporter of efforts to fight cancer. "I have a cousin who died of it and an aunt who has it now," she said. "We have a number of other cancers in our family so we're very aware about the risks in our family and we're careful to exercise and eat well." This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

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