QSUM Quips - May 2015
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The Latest News
HOT TOPIC:  Breast Density

New Educational Website Addresses breast density, mammography density, breast density information. www.DenseBreast-info.org
New Educational Website

Breast Density Remains an Issue. A lot of the efforts have been generated by the breast density legislation that is happening throughout the United States said Levine. "States are enacting legislation that dictates that the radiologist must inform a woman regarding her breast density. We see this as very valuable in that women should be informed. However, we need to develop protocols and put them in place for how to address this." 

Awareness of Breast Density and Its Impact on Breast Cancer Detection and Risk. Disparities in BD awareness and knowledge exist by race/ethnicity, education, and income. BD legislation seems to be effective in increasing knowledge of BD impact on breast cancer detection. These findings support continued and targeted efforts to improve BD awareness and knowledge among women eligible for screening mammography. 

Automated Ultrasound Can Improve Breast Cancer Detection In Women With Dense Breasts. Yet not all doctors agree that it's worth offering this sound-wave test to all women with dense breasts for supplemental screening. Some radiologists have argued against widespread implementation of the procedure. 

North Dakota breast density notification bill signed into law. With the signing of the North Dakota law, 22 states have now passed some type of dense breast notification legislation. 

Volpara hits VolparaDensity installation milestone.

Black Women More Likely to Have Dense Breast Tissue, Study Shows. New research finds that black women are more likely than white women to have dense breasts, potentially boosting their breast cancer risk. 

MAMMOGRAPHY:
Advanced breast imaging services scarce in nonacademic, nonradiology practices. The study, published online in Academic Radiology , suggested that women attending facilities with the more advanced capabilities will be less likely to have to travel elsewhere for a complete diagnostic evaluation. 

New Score Predicts Coronary Calcification From Mammography. A novel breast arterial calcification (BAC) score that uses findings from standard digital mammography is predictive of underlying coronary calcification and cardiovascular disease risk. 

Should women over 75 be screened for breast cancer? "ACR and SBI suggest that screening stops being beneficial in women whose life expectancy is less than five to seven years, due to age or comorbid conditions," she said. "Or when abnormal results from a screening mammogram would not be acted on with diagnostic workup, biopsy, or even surgery -- due to a woman's age or comorbidities." 

ULTRASOUND:
Ultrasound-guided cryoablation shows promise in treating ductal carcinomas. Cryoablation has successfully been used to treat fibroadenomas and aid in surgical excision, but has had limited results in the treatment of breast cancer. However, it remains an attractive strategy in the management of breast cancer as it is minimally invasive. 

MRI:
Irish study: How low can breast MR recalls go? Research conducted in Dublin finds the breast MRI recall rate is 10.8%, which compares well with other published data but is above U.K. national breast screening guidelines' minimum standard of less than 10% and an expected standard of less than 7%. Is that achievable? Maybe. 

MRI pinpoints malignancy in extramammary disease. Assessing the entire field-of-view carefully for abnormalities on breast MRI studies is vital, because some incidental extramammary findings are malignant, and this alters diagnostic workup, staging, and treatment. 

PET/PEM:
Study questions FDG-PET/CT for certain breast cancers. Researchers at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center found that only 3% of patients with newly diagnosed stage III invasive lobular breast cancer would have benefited from systemic staging with FDG-PET/CT, versus conventional CT and bone scanning. 

Nuclear medicine scan could identify who might benefit from aromatase inhibitor treatment. Research shows that a PET scan with the ligand C-11-vorozole reliably detects aromatase in all body organs - demonstrating the value of its future use to pre-determine the effectiveness of the treatment for breast, ovarian, endometrial and lung cancer patients. 

BIOPSY:
Women's Health Update: Breast biopsies read as atypia may warrant a second look. A multicenter study of breast biopsy interpretation that compared diagnoses by an expert consensus panel and pathologists in clinical practice found that they disagreed in 52% of cases involving atypia.

NEW TECHNOLOGY:
New blood test can predict future breast cancer. By analyzing a simple blood sample, scientists have succeeded in predicting if a woman will get breast cancer within two to five years. The method -- a metabolic blood profile -- is still in the early stages but over time the scientists expect it could be used to predict breast cancer and more generally to predict chronic disease. 

MISCELLANEOUS ARTICLES:
Gene mapping reveals soy's dynamic, differing roles in breast cancer. Scientists have mapped the human genes triggered by the phytonutrients in soy, revealing the complex role the legume plays in both preventing and advancing breast cancer. 

Breast Cancer Trends Predict Rising Numbers, Older Patients. An evolving patient population will fuel as much as a 50% increase in the number of breast cancer cases over the next 15 years, according to National Cancer Institute (NCI) projections. 

Ovary Removal Cuts Breast Cancer Mortality Risk. Women with BRCA-positive breast cancer had a significantly lower risk of dying of breast cancer after prophylactic bilateral oophorectomy, a review of almost 700 cases showed. 

New breast cancer screening analysis confirms biennial interval optimal for average risk women. Results from a second comprehensive analysis of mammography screening, this time using data from digital mammography, confirms findings from a 2009 analysis of film mammography: biennial (every two years) screening offers a favorable balance of benefits to harm for women ages 50 to 74 who have an average risk of developing breast cancer. 

Breast cancer cells may spread by mimicking blood vessels. The team at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) in New York focussed on a process called 'vascular mimicry', where cancer cells form their own network of tubes similar to blood vessels. 

Genetic test could help identify breast cancer risk. Using one of the world's biggest databases of genetic information - called the Collaborative Oncological Gene-Environment Study - they found a link between higher 'polygenic risk scores' and a woman's risk of breast cancer. 

Text Message Reminders Boost Breast Cancer Screening Attendance. A new study found that women who received a text message reminder about their breast cancer screening appointment were 20 percent more likely to attend than those who were not texted. 

Early Intervention Essential for Proper Lymphedema Management Moving early to diagnose and treat lymphedema after breast cancer treatment can reverse this side effect or prevent it from becoming more severe. Yet, a consistent way of defining lymphedema, measuring it, and identifying those most at risk remains elusive. 

Women with diabetes more likely to be diagnosed with advanced stage breast cancer. Findings suggest that women with diabetes may be predisposed to more advanced stage breast cancer, which may be a contributor to their higher cancer mortality. 

When to Consult a Physician about Breast Pain. For men, breast pain is uncommon. Men usually don't even think about the fact that they have breast tissue until something goes wrong and they begin to feel pain there. While this pain isn't always an indication that something is wrong, there are some signs that are a cause for concern. 

BEST BLOGS:
With Breast Density, a Gray Area for Screening Choices. Within the past half century, our profession has borne witness to an explosion of advancement, and with this has come a contemporaneous increase in both the need for sub-specialization and, bluntly, the associated cost of having more technology at our disposal. 

Hydrogen Peroxide Oxygen Therapy To Protect & Restore Wellness. Hydrogen peroxide oxygen therapies may help protect and restore one's wellness level. 

Benefits of Yoga for Lymphedema Management.

I NEED SURGERY - NOW WHAT? A list of must haves, should haves, and might wants...

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Courtesy of Eating Well
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