Posted: 23 Nov 2009 02:27 PM PST

In the November 17, 2009 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine, the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF) released their new recommendations for breast cancer screening, adding 10 years to what they had previously recommended in 2002.

In 2009, this federally-funded task force recommends against regular routine mammograms for women in their 40s, only for women who are over the age of 50. They also recommend against teaching about breast self-examination.

Needless to say, this has completely riled up the medical community, especially those who work with breast cancer patients.

The "old" guidelines for breast cancer screening recommend that all women over the age of 40 have regular mammograms every 1-2 years. They also promote women performing self breast exams at home.

Many major health organizations, including the American Cancer Society, and the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists are sticking by these guidelines. Medical centers across the United States are also disputing the USPSTF's new recommendations and keeping the age of routine mammograms at 40.

Because this cancer is the second cause of death in U.S. women, these new recommendations have caused quite a debate. According to the American Cancer Society, between 2002 and 2006, 95 percent of new breast cancer diagnosis happened to women over 40, and 97 percent of deaths were from this age range.

The American Cancer society estimates that before 2009 is over, over 192,000 people will be diagnosed with breast cancer-most of these women. Another 40,000 people will die from this disease.

In 2009, over 18,000 people under the age of 45 will have invasive breast cancers, and 2,820 in this age range will die.

These stats are pretty scary. That's why early detection is key. The earlier that you can detect cancer, the easier it is to treat and ultimately beat. With stage 1 and 2 breast cancer, you have over 85 percent 5-year survival rate. When your cancer metastases (spreads to other parts of your body), your survival rate dramatically drops.

Because cancer in its earliest form has no symptoms-in some cases, not even a hard lump in one of your breasts-a mammogram (a low dose x-ray of your breasts) is often the only way that you know you have cancer. Mammograms, like other medical tests, can occasionally give false positives, which can be very emotionally traumatizing, but they are accurate in 80 to 90 percent of cases.

Every woman should make up her own mind on whether she wants to have a mammogram or not, but one should know that the USPSTF is federally funded. With the 2009 healthcare debate, many people are questioning whether these new recommendations are based on economic reasons, not for truly preventing disease and saving lives.

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Introduction of Breast Cancer

Posted: 23 Nov 2009 12:38 PM PST

Inspired with the month of Breast Cancer Awareness, I decided to write a series about breast cancer research. I will start off with some information on this cancer research in this post. By then, do you know any risk factors that we need to pay attention to? Any prevention step to deal with it?

Firstly, we have to know what the breast cancer exactly is. According to the current cancer research, we can describe that it is an invasive cancer that arises through a series of molecular alterations that occur at the cell level, and consequently causing the uncontrollable growth and spread of breast epithelial cells. This type of cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in most of the countries. Early detection and the recent more effective therapies had led to significant reductions in this cancer related deaths. However, breast cancer remains a major cause of death. Some of the authorities start to worry about the increasing rates of this type of cancer worldwide especially among previously low-risk regions and low-risk populations. This is a particularly worrisome trend as most of these regions are limited with the access of screening and effective therapies. Therefore, prevention of invasive breast cancer remains a major global public health priority.

Like most of the other cancers, once this cancer has been detected there is already the chance that the disease has spread to adjacent cells. Conventional medicine stages the disease based on certain factors like tumor size, involvement of lymph node or distal spread. The suggested treatment depends on the stages of the this type of cancer.

Symptoms of Breast Cancer
There are many signs and symptoms of this cancer. It is important that women to be aware of the signs. We can check ourselves whether there are the signs of this kind of cancer.

a) Lumps or thickening in the breast or armpit area

b) Changes in the skin in the breast or armpit area, e.g. dimpling, redness or puckering.

c) Changes in nipple, e.g. a change in the direction or an unusual discharge

d) Changes around the nipple, e.g. an unusual rash or sore area.

e) Changes to the shape and size of the breast

f) Unusual pain or discomfort

If someone discovered that he or she has such symptoms, the person should report to the doctor for further diagnosis. Although it is very rare for men to have breast cancer, there is still possible to occur. Thus, be aware to these kinds of symptoms always. Cancer research on breast cancer is still going on to look through more treatment that can be used.

Do you know that breast cancer is the most commonly cancer diagnosed according to cancer research? Did you and your beloved go for body checking frequently?

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What's Behind USPSTF's New Breast Cancer Screening Recommendation?

Posted: 23 Nov 2009 07:47 AM PST

The news has been buzzing about the recent change in recommendations for breast cancer screening. The old guidelines suggested that women begin having mammograms beginning at age 40, and that they be screened once each year. Now the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force says that women should wait until they are 50 years old to begin breast cancer screening, and that they should only have an exam done every two years.

This new recommendation comes as a shock to anyone who is familiar with breast cancer, which is treated most effectively when detected early. Outrage at the new breast cancer screening standard has come especially from women who are survivors of breast cancer, and whose ability to defeat the disease came because they were getting regular screenings beginning at age 40.

This sudden drastic change definitely seems suspicious. Logically connecting the dots would tell a rational person that somehow this new recommendation is linked to the healthcare reform debate that has been a hot topic over the months since Barack Obama took office. His determination to overhaul what has been the best health care system in the world now seems to be anything but benign. Doctor Peter Jokich of the Rush University Medical Center said in an interview with ABC News that the new guidelines are about "money and politics" and show symptoms of "the beginnings of rationing care". Dr. Susan BoolBol, Beth Israel Medical Center commented that "[The new guidelines] will set breast cancer back about 30 years."

The American Cancer Society quickly rebutted the new guidelines, saying that it will continue to promote the existing policy. However, the collateral damage to many women in the United States may already be done when considering the response to the new recommendation. Many offices who screen for breast cancer are seeing appointment cancellations as a direct result of the announcement.

If indeed these new guidelines are a foreshadowing of the demise of the US health care system as our freedoms are sacrificed one at a time on the alter of liberal progressivism, it comes as a surprise to me that the announcement would be made before the camel gets its nose far enough into the tent to have any traction. I don't know what was said in the meetings that led to these new guidelines, but they are obviously out of stride with the great majority of those who are in the know in the medical field. Could the panel have simply made a mistake, as if it's an isolated body out of touch with what's going on in medicine and cancer research? The task force's recommendation statement includes a section entitled "Harms of Detection and Early Intervention", citing "psychological harms", unnecessary tests, and "inconvenience" for women whose mammogram tests result in false positives. That sounds like a parent asserting that her infant shouldn't be warned to stay out of the street because it might hurt his feelings. And besides, there may not even be a car coming for a long time.

One might argue, "But it's just a recommendation. Nobody is forced to follow it." Well, tell that to the insurance companies who may use this recommendation as a way to limit their coverage to screenings that fall within these guidelines. There are programs and policies that are greatly affected by the recommendations of a such an influential body as the USPSTF.

For those of us who have known for a long time that there are people in Washington whose intentions with health care, bailouts, and other aspects of American society are not what they would like us to believe, this new health care rationing recommendation is another warning about what could be ahead.

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Breast Cancer

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

“Why You Shouldn't Listen to the New Breast Cancer Screening Guidelines” plus 2 more

“Why You Shouldn't Listen to the New Breast Cancer Screening Guidelines” plus 2 more

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