Yoga Improves Chronic Fatigue in Breast Cancer Survivors
January 2, 2012 by admin
Filed under Breast Cancer, Cancer, Yoga, chemotherapy, fatigue
Welcome to Weekly Health UpdateYOGA IMPROVES CHRONIC FATIGUE IN BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS Breast cancer remains the most common serious cancer to afflict women, and the second most common cause of cancer-related death in women (second only to lung cancer). In 2012, most patients with breast cancer will undergo surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and hormonal therapy as standard treatments for their cancer, and as many as 1 in 3 breast cancer survivors will go on to experience chronic fatigue after completing their extensive therapy for this common disease. Many interventions have been proposed for chronic post-treatment fatigue in breast cancer survivors, but none of these interventions have been subjected to the scrutiny of high quality, prospective, randomized, controlled clinical research studies to validate their effectiveness. However, a newly published prospective, randomized, controlled clinical research study suggests that lyengar yoga may be an effective intervention for chronic fatigue following breast cancer treatment. This new study appears in the current issue of the journal Cancer. Thirty-one female breast cancer survivors with chronic fatigue were randomized to one of two groups in this study. Sixteen of these women were randomized to a yoga instruction group for 12 weeks (the “experimental” group), while the other 15 women were randomized to 12 weeks of health education classes (the “control” group). At the end of the 12-week study period, and again 3 months later, the two groups of women were assessed for changes in fatigue levels (compared to baseline, at the time of their entry into the study); as well as changes in vigor, depressive symptoms, sleep quality, perceived stress levels, and physical performance status. Following analysis of the data, the authors of this study concluded that 12 weeks of yoga training significantly improved the severity of chronic post-treatment fatigue in breast cancer survivors, when compared to 12 weeks of health education instruction. (Importantly, this improvement in fatigue levels was maintained for at least 3 months after completion of 12 weeks of yoga classes.) Additionally, the yoga group experienced significant improvements in physical vigor, when compared to the health education group of women. At the same time, both groups of women reported improvements in depressive symptoms and perceived stress at the end of this clinical study, while no significant improvements in sleep quality or physical performance status were noted in either group of study participants. This study is the first prospective, randomized, controlled clinical research study to show that a 12-week intervention with yoga training leads to significant and sustained improvements in chronic fatigue and physical vigor among women who have completed multidisciplinary therapy for breast cancer. Based upon the findings of this small but important clinical study, breast cancer survivors who are struggling with post-treatment chronic fatigue might want to check out a yoga studio in their neighborhood! For a groundbreaking overview of cancer risks, and evidence-based strategies to reduce your risk of developing cancer, order your copy of my new book, “A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race,” from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Vroman’s Bookstore, and other fine bookstores! On Thanksgiving Day, 2010, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race was ranked #6 among all cancer-related books on the Amazon.com “Top 100 Bestseller’s List” for Kindle e-books! On Christmas Day, 2010, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race was the #1 book on the Amazon.com “Top 100 New Book Releases in Cancer” list! Disclaimer: As always, my advice to readers is to seek the advice of your physician before making any significant changes in medications, diet, or level of physical activity Dr. Wascher is an oncologic surgeon, professor of surgery, cancer researcher, oncology consultant, and a widely published author For a different perspective on Dr. Wascher, please click on the following YouTube link: I and the staff of Weekly Health Update would again like to take this opportunity to thank the more than 100,000 health-conscious people from around the world who visit this premier global health information website every month. (More than 1.3 million pages of high-quality medical research findings were served to the worldwide audience of health-conscious people who visited Weekly Health Update in 2011!) As always, we enjoy receiving your stimulating feedback and questions, and I will continue to try and personally answer as many of your inquiries as I possibly can.
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Aspirin May Help to Prevent Breast Cancer
October 30, 2011 by admin
Filed under Breast Cancer, Cancer, Cancer Prevention, Weekly Health Update, aspirin, breast cancer prevention, breast cancer risk
Welcome to Weekly Health UpdateA large meta-analysis suggests that aspirin may lower a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer. ASPIRIN MAY HELP TO PREVENT BREAST CANCER As I have discussed in my bestselling book, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race, aspirin may have an important potential role in the prevention of certain types of cancer, including colorectal cancer and pancreatic cancer. However, the available research data on aspirin as a breast cancer prevention medication has been rather mixed, to date. A new meta-analysis study, which appears in the current issue of the journal Breast Cancer Research & Treatment, adds weight to previous studies suggesting a potential role for aspirin in the prevention of breast cancer. In this meta-analysis, the results of 33 different clinical research studies were analyzed. Altogether, nearly two million research volunteers participated in these 33 studies. When considering the results of these 33 different research studies, the authors of this meta-analysis determined that the regular use of aspirin was associated with an average 14 percent reduction in the risk of developing breast cancer. While this meta-analysis study showed an overall trend towards a decreased risk of developing breast cancer in women who regularly took aspirin, there is one very important caveat that I must emphasize. Only one of the 33 research studies that were analyzed in this meta-analysis was a prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled study (i.e., the type of clinical research study that provides the highest level of scientific and clinical findings), and it was this study, alone among the 33 different clinical studies, that did not find any breast cancer prevention benefit associated with regular aspirin use. While all but one of the 33 clinical research studies in this meta-analysis identified a significant reduction in breast cancer risk in women who regularly took aspirin, the failure of the lone prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical research trial to confirm this finding means that additional prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled research studies will need to be performed before aspirin can be definitively recommended as a breast cancer prevention medication. As I have stressed before, all medications, including aspirin, can be associated with potentially serious side effects. Therefore, if you are considering aspirin therapy, for the prevention of heart disease or cancer, then it is very important for you to check with your doctor before you begin taking aspirin.
For a comprehensive guide to living an evidence-based cancer prevention lifestyle, order your copy of my new book, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race. For the price of a cheeseburger, fries, and a shake, you can purchase this landmark new book, in both paperback and e-book formats, and begin living an evidence-based cancer prevention lifestyle today! For a groundbreaking overview of cancer risks, and evidence-based strategies to reduce your risk of developing cancer, order your copy of my new book, “A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race,” from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million,Vroman’s Bookstore, and other fine bookstores! On Thanksgiving Day, 2010, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race was ranked #6 among all cancer-related books on the Amazon.com “Top 100 Bestseller’s List” for Kindle e-books! On Christmas Day, 2010, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race was the #1 book on the Amazon.com “Top 100 New Book Releases in Cancer” list! Disclaimer: As always, my advice to readers is to seek the advice of your physician before making any significant changes in medications, diet, or level of physical activity Dr. Wascher is an oncologic surgeon, professor of surgery, cancer researcher, oncology consultant, and a widely published author For a different perspective on Dr. Wascher, please click on the following YouTube link: I and the staff of Weekly Health Update would again like to take this opportunity to thank the more than 100,000 health-conscious people, from around the world, who visit this premier global health information website every month. (More than 1.2 million health-conscious people visited Weekly Health Update in 2010!) As always, we enjoy receiving your stimulating feedback and questions, and I will continue to try and personally answer as many of your inquiries as I possibly can.
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Clonidine and the Antidepressant Effexor Both Reduce Hot Flashes
October 9, 2011 by admin
Filed under Antidepressant, Breast Cancer, Cancer, Cancer Prevention, Clonidine, Effexor, Hormonal Therapy, Hot Flashes, Menopausal Symptoms, Menopause, SNRI, SSRI, Venlafaxine, Weekly Health Update, breast cancer prevention, breast cancer risk, estrogen, sex hormones, tamoxifen
Welcome to Weekly Health Update
The blood pressure medication clonidine and the antidepressant venlafaxine (Effexor) both reduce hot flashes caused by breast cancer treatment and by menopause. CLONIDINE AND THE ANTIDEPRESSANT EFFEXOR BOTH REDUCE HOT FLASHES
The modern management of breast cancer often includes “hormonal therapy,” in which medications that block the effects of estrogen, or decrease the amount of estrogen manufactured by the body, are used to reduce the risk of breast cancer recurrence. Despite significantly lowering the risk of breast cancer recurrence in patients with estrogen-sensitive breast tumors, recent clinical research studies have shown that fewer than one-half of all breast cancer patients actually go on to complete the recommended 5-year course of hormonal therapy. (This very poor level of compliance with a medical therapy proven to lower recurrence and death rates associated with breast cancer is particularly an issue among younger women.) While there are several reasons why more than half of all breast cancer patients do not complete their recommended course of hormonal therapy, one of the major causes, and especially among younger patients, is that these medications are commonly associated with significant side effects, including the same hot flashes that frequently accompany menopause. Numerous treatment interventions have been tried in an effort prevent hot flashes associated with breast cancer therapy (as well as hot flashes in postmenopausal women without breast cancer), but very few of these therapies have been shown to have any clinically significant benefit. However, several previous clinical studies have suggested that certain types of antidepressant medications, as well as the blood pressure medication clonidine, may reduce the severity and frequency of hot flashes. Unfortunately, much of the research in this area has been of rather low quality, and so the findings of these lower level studies have not radically changed the way that most physicians have managed their patients’ hot flashes. Now, a newly published prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled, blinded clinical research study, which appears in the current issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology, strongly suggests that venlafaxine (also known by its trade name, Effexor®), a medication that is part of the new “serotonin–norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors” (SNRIs) class of antidepressants, and clonidine may both be effective in decreasing the severity and frequency of hot flashes in women with a history of breast cancer. In this study, 102 women with a history of both breast cancer and severe hot flashes were secretly and randomly assigned to take either venlafaxine (75 mg per day), clonidine (0.1 mg per day), or an identical-appearing placebo (sugar) pill. Following 12 weeks of observation, 80 patients remained in this clinical study. At the end of this 12-week clinical study, both clonidine and venlafaxine were found to significantly decrease the severity and frequency of hot flashes, when compared to placebo pills. Although both medications were clinically effective in reducing hot flashes, and although venlafaxine resulted in a more rapid reduction in hot flashes than clonidine, clonidine was associated with a greater overall improvement in hot flashes, when compared to venlafaxine, after 12 weeks of treatment. (Venlafaxine was also associated with a greater incidence of nausea, constipation, and appetite loss, compared to clonidine.) The findings of this study add to those of prior studies that have shown a 15 to 25% reduction in the severity and frequency of hot flashes with antidepressants such as venlafaxine, and with clonidine. Moreover, prior studies have shown that these two medications reduce the severity and frequency of hot flashes in women with a history of breast cancer as well as in postmenopausal women without a prior history of breast cancer. One important limitation of this study is its small size, and its high patient drop-out rate, which resulted in small numbers of patient volunteers in each of the three “arms” of this prospective, randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled study. However, the findings of this small clinical research study, nonetheless, are still consistent with those of previously published studies; and taken together, these studies suggest that venlafaxine (and other modern antidepressant medications) and clonidine may be effective in reducing the severity and frequency of hot flashes in both breast cancer patients who are undergoing hormonal therapy for their cancer and in postmenopausal women with menopause-associated hot flashes.
For a comprehensive guide to living an evidence-based cancer prevention lifestyle, order your copy of my new book, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race. For the price of a cheeseburger, fries, and a shake, you can purchase this landmark new book, in both paperback and e-book formats, and begin living an evidence-based cancer prevention lifestyle today! For a groundbreaking overview of cancer risks, and evidence-based strategies to reduce your risk of developing cancer, order your copy of my new book, “A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race,” from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million,Vroman’s Bookstore, and other fine bookstores! On Thanksgiving Day, 2010, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race was ranked #6 among all cancer-related books on the Amazon.com “Top 100 Bestseller’s List” for Kindle e-books! On Christmas Day, 2010, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race was the #1 book on the Amazon.com “Top 100 New Book Releases in Cancer” list! Disclaimer: As always, my advice to readers is to seek the advice of your physician before making any significant changes in medications, diet, or level of physical activity Dr. Wascher is an oncologic surgeon, professor of surgery, cancer researcher, oncology consultant, and a widely published author For a different perspective on Dr. Wascher, please click on the following YouTube link: I and the staff of Weekly Health Update would again like to take this opportunity to thank the more than 100,000 health-conscious people, from around the world, who visit this premier global health information website every month. (More than 1.2 million health-conscious people visited Weekly Health Update in 2010!) As always, we enjoy receiving your stimulating feedback and questions, and I will continue to try and personally answer as many of your inquiries as I possibly can.
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Vitamin D May Significantly Decrease Breast Cancer Risk
August 28, 2011 by admin
Filed under Breast Cancer, Cancer, Cancer Prevention, Vitamin D, Weekly Health Update, breast cancer prevention, breast cancer risk, diet, health
Welcome to Weekly Health UpdateA new research study suggests that breast cancer risk can be cut in half with adequate Vitamin D levels in the blood. VITAMIN D MAY SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASE BREAST CANCER RISK As I discuss in detail in my recent book, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race, there is considerable research evidence linking low Vitamin D levels in the blood with a higher risk of some types of cancer, and colorectal cancer in particular.As I have discussed previously in this column, there is also some research evidence available to suggest that low levels of Vitamin D may, similarly, be associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, as well as a possible increase in the risk of recurrence of prior breast cancers (although the results of still other studies have not supported these conclusions). Now, a new analysis of recent breast cancer prevention research studies suggests that higher levels of Vitamin D in the blood may indeedsignificantly decrease the risk of developing breast cancer. Meta-analysis studies use powerful statistical formulas to combine the results of multiple smaller research studies into a single larger and more conclusive “meta-study.” This form of statistical analysis is especially useful for evaluating clinical research studies that have utilized different research methods to arrive at their final conclusions. A new meta-analysis of 11 previously published breast cancer risk research studies has just been published, and this new comprehensive meta-analysis appears in the current issue of the journal Anticancer Research. Following meta-analysis of the results of 11 different breast cancer risk studies, this new study determined that high-normal levels of Vitamin D in the blood were associated with a significantly lower risk of developing breast cancer when compared to low Vitamin D levels. Indeed, in this meta-analysis, a Vitamin D level of 47 ng/ml in the blood was associated with a whopping50 percent reduction in breast cancer risk, when compared to women who had very low blood levels of this hormone-like vitamin.(While there is no uniform agreement on “normal” blood levels of Vitamin D, most experts recommend that Vitamin D levels be maintained in the 30 to 50 ng/ml range.) While increased Vitamin D intake has been repeatedly linked with a lower risk of some cancers, as well as a decreased risk of heart disease, excessive Vitamin D levels in the blood can cause serious illnesses, including kidney failure, calcium deposits throughout the body, gastrointestinal ulcers, and other serious health problems. Therefore, prior to beginning Vitamin D supplementation (or, indeed, before starting any new supplement or medication), please consult with your personal physician first! For a comprehensive guide to living an evidence-based cancer prevention lifestyle, order your copy of my new book, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race. For the price of a cheeseburger, fries, and a shake, you can purchase this landmark new book, in both paperback and e-book formats, and begin living an evidence-based cancer prevention lifestyle today! For a groundbreaking overview of cancer risks, and evidence-based strategies to reduce your risk of developing cancer, order your copy of my new book, “A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race,” from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million,Vroman’s Bookstore, and other fine bookstores! On Thanksgiving Day, 2010, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race was ranked #6 among all cancer-related books on the Amazon.com “Top 100 Bestseller’s List” for Kindle e-books! On Christmas Day, 2010, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race was the #1 book on the Amazon.com “Top 100 New Book Releases in Cancer” list! Disclaimer: As always, my advice to readers is to seek the advice of your physician before making any significant changes in medications, diet, or level of physical activity Dr. Wascher is an oncologic surgeon, professor of surgery, cancer researcher, oncology consultant, and a widely published author For a different perspective on Dr. Wascher, please click on the following YouTube link: I and the staff of Weekly Health Update would again like to take this opportunity to thank the more than 100,000 health-conscious people, from around the world, who visit this premier global health information website every month. (More than 1.2 million health-conscious people visited Weekly Health Update in 2010!) As always, we enjoy receiving your stimulating feedback and questions, and I will continue to try and personally answer as many of your inquiries as I possibly can. |
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Breast Cancer Cells in the Blood Predict High Risk of Recurrence
June 26, 2011 by admin
Filed under Breast Cancer, Cancer, Cancer Prevention, Circulating Tumor Cells, Occult Tumor Cells, RT-PCR, Weekly Health Update, breast cancer prevention, breast cancer risk, cancer detection, cancer screening, health, mortality
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Axillary Lymph Node Dissection for Breast Cancer May Not Be Necessary
February 13, 2011 by admin
Filed under ACOSOG, Breast Cancer, Cancer, axillary lymph node dissection, axillary lymph nodes, lumpectomy, mastectomy, sentinel lymph nodes, surgery
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Obesity, Diabetes and Breast Cancer Recurrence Risk
January 2, 2011 by admin
Filed under BMI, Breast Cancer, Cancer, Cancer Prevention, Hormonal Therapy, Nutrition, Weekly Health Update, chemotherapy, death, diabetes, diet, exercise, health, obesity
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Mammograms Save Lives in Women with Family History of Breast Cancer
November 28, 2010 by admin
Filed under Breast Cancer, Cancer, Cancer Prevention, Family History of Breast Cancer, Mammograms, Weekly Health Update, health
Welcome to Weekly Health Update“A critical weekly review of important new research findings for health-conscious readers”
MAMMOGRAMS SAVE LIVES IN WOMEN WITH FAMILY HISTORY OF BREAST CANCER
While the debate about whether or not routine screening mammograms can save lives continues in some circles, the clinical research evidence supporting mammograms as a lifesaving cancer screening exam continues to accumulate. Now, a newly published public health study, which appears in The Lancet Oncology, examines the survival benefit associated with routine screening mammograms in women who have a family history of breast cancer. In this large multicenter prospective clinical research study, which was performed in the UK, 6,710 women between the ages of 40 and 42 were enrolled in this study, and were followed for an average of about 4 years. These women, who had at least some family history of breast cancer, underwent annual screening mammograms as part of this clinical research study. This study used two important control groups to assess the impact of regular annual screening mammograms on the risk of mortality in these young women. The first control group consisted of women who were at average risk for breast cancer (these women, themselves, served as the control group for the enormous UK Age Trial, which included more than 106,000 patient volunteers, and which recently reported a 10-year follow-up of its results). The second control group, against which these 6,710 women with an intermediate familial risk of breast cancer were compared, included young women from another large public health study that was performed in the Netherlands. Among the 136 women who were diagnosed with breast cancer during the relatively brief course of this ongoing study, 77 percent were diagnosed by screening mammography, while 21 percent were diagnosed when they presented with a new breast lump (or with other clinical signs or symptoms of breast cancer). (Another 2 percent of patients failed to attend their scheduled screening mammograms, and subsequently developed clinical signs or symptoms of breast cancer.) In this study (and as other studies have shown, even among women who are at average risk of developing breast cancer), breast cancers that were detected by annual screening mammograms were significantly smaller in size, and significantly less likely to be associated with the spread of cancer to the lymph nodes. In addition to these very important breast cancer prognostic factors, women who were diagnosed with breast cancer as a result of annual screening mammograms had much less aggressive appearing tumors under the microscope when compared to women who were diagnosed with breast cancer only after a lump, or other signs of breast cancer, appeared. Based upon the findings of this newly published study, young women with even an intermediate risk of breast cancer, based upon having one or more relatives with breast cancer, were 20 percent less likely to die within 10 years when compared with a poorly screened, or unscreened, average-risk population of young women. Moreover, this survival advantage appeared to be directly related to annual screening mammograms, once all other breast cancer risk factors among these three populations of women had been considered.
For a complete discussion of the compelling scientific evidence linking routine screening mammograms with a decreased risk of death due to breast cancer, please see the extended clinical section on breast cancer in my new book, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race.
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GIVE THE GIFT OF HEALTH THIS HOLIDAY SEASON! For a groundbreaking overview of cancer risks, and evidence-based strategies to reduce your risk of developing cancer, order your copy of my new book, “A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race,” from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Vroman’s Bookstore, and other fine bookstores! On Thanksgiving Day, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race was ranked #6 among all cancer-related books on the Amazon.com Top 100 Bestseller’s List for Kindle e-books! Disclaimer: As always, my advice to readers is to seek the advice of your physician before making any significant changes in medications, diet, or level of physical activity
Dr. Wascher is an oncologic surgeon, a professor of surgery, a cancer researcher, an oncology consultant, and a widely published author
For a different perspective on Dr. Wascher, please click on the following YouTube link:
I and the staff of Weekly Health Update would again like to take this opportunity to thank the more than 100,000 health-conscious people, from around the world, who visit this premier global health information website every month. (As of 9/16/2010, more than 1,000,000 health-conscious people have logged onto Weekly Health Update so far this year!) As always, I enjoy receiving your stimulating feedback and questions, and I will continue to try and personally answer as many of your inquiries as I possibly can. |
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Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) and Breast Cancer Risk
October 18, 2010 by admin
Filed under Breast Cancer, Cancer, Cancer Prevention, HRT, Hormone Replacement Therapy, Weekly Health Update
Welcome to Weekly Health Update“A critical weekly review of important new research findings for health-conscious readers”
OCTOBER IS NATIONAL BREAST CANCER
AWARENESS MONTH
HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY (HRT) AND BREAST CANCER RISK The rising incidence of breast cancer, year-after-year, over the past 50 years in the United States (and in many other industrialized countries) has been attributed to a variety of factors, including environmental contaminants, rising obesity levels, and increased compliance with annual screening mammograms, among others. However, one factor that has been given inadequate attention, in my view, is that of hormone replacement therapy (HRT), despite nearly a century of data showing a strong linkage between lifetime exposure to the female hormones estrogen and progesterone and the risk of developing breast cancer. In 2002, the enormous, randomized, prospective, blinded Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) study published its preliminary results, and prematurely terminated its combination HRT study because of an alarming increase in the incidence of breast cancer in the group of women who had been secretly randomized to receive combination HRT medications for menopausal symptoms. Despite subsequent updates from the WHI, which have shown, essentially, a doubling of breast cancer risk after more than 5 years of HRT use, there was initially a great deal of resistance to the WHI’s findings (and the findings of other similar clinical research trials) linking HRT use with an increased risk of developing breast cancer. Now, a new national Canadian public health study offers additional powerful clinical research data linking HRT use with breast cancer risk, and reveals the equally strong link between declining HRT use and the declining breast cancer incidence in Canada. This study appears in the current issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. In this study, 1,200 women between the ages of 50 and 69 participated in the National Population Health Survey between 1996 and 2006. Just prior to the 2002 release of the WHI study’s results, 13 percent of these women regularly used combination HRT. By December 2004, only 5 percent of the postmenopausal women participating in this study were still taking HRT medications. During this same period, the incidence of breast cancer in this large group of Canadian women decreased by about 10 percent. (Importantly, compliances rates with screening mammograms did not change during the course of this clinical research study.) Thus, between 2002 and 2004, when HRT use significantly declined, the incidence of breast cancer decreased by about 10 percent in Canada. Moreover, this significant decrease in breast cancer incidence occurred without any change in mammogram rates. This study, as with other recent studies, adds to the overwhelming research data linking HRT use with an increased risk of developing breast cancer. As I tell my own patients who are approaching menopause, it is best to avoid HRT altogether. If you are already taking HRT medications, then ask your doctor to help you in weaning yourself off of these medications.
In recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I urge our tens of thousands of regular Weekly Health Update readers to join in the global fight against breast cancer. There are numerous organizations and groups, in virtually every community, that are sponsoring fundraising activities throughout October, including the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. Another opportunity to participate (and at no cost!) is to vote for the Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation Army of Women project in the Pepsi Refresh competition! There are also many other worthwhile and deserving fundraising programs available for everyone to become involved in!
For a deeper evidence-based discussion of the links between HRT and breast cancer risk, order your copy of my new book, “A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race,” from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Vroman’s Bookstore, and other fine bookstores!
Disclaimer: As always, my advice to readers is to seek the advice of your physician before making any significant changes in medications, diet, or level of physical activity Dr. Wascher is an oncologic surgeon, a professor of surgery, a cancer researcher, an oncology consultant, and a widely published author For a different perspective on Dr. Wascher, please click on the following YouTube link: I and the staff of Weekly Health Update would again like to take this opportunity to thank the more than 100,000 health-conscious people, from around the world, who visit this premier global health information website every month. (As of 9/16/2010, more than 1,000,000 health-conscious people have logged onto Weekly Health Update so far this year!) As always, I enjoy receiving your stimulating feedback and questions, and I will continue to try and personally answer as many of your inquiries as I possibly can. |
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Mammograms Between 40 and 49 Years of Age
October 9, 2010 by admin
Filed under Breast Cancer, Cancer, Cancer Prevention, Mammograms, Weekly Health Update
Welcome to Weekly Health Update“A critical weekly review of important new research findings for health-conscious readers”
OCTOBER IS NATIONAL BREAST CANCER
AWARENESS MONTH
MAMMOGRAMS BETWEEN 40 AND 49 YEARS OF AGE Both patients and their physicians were stunned last year when the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommended against routine annual screening mammograms in women between the age of40 and 49 years (as has been the standard recommendation in the United States, and in most countries around the world, for many years). The USPSTF’s recommendations quickly set off a firestorm of debate regarding the calculations and public health considerations used by the USPSTF to arrive at this surprising recommendation. Since the USPSTF released its recommendations in the fall of 2009, most breast cancer specialists and breast cancer advocacy groups have continued to recommend that women who are at average risk of developing breast cancer begin routine annual screening mammograms at age 40. As I extensively discuss in my new book, A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race, there is ample available clinical research data showing that screening mammograms detect breast cancer at an earlier stage than other commonly available screening methods, and that survival is improved in women in whom breast cancer is first detected by a mammogram (as opposed to the detection of a palpable or visible breast mass). Now, a newly published large-scale public health study from Sweden, which appears in the current issue of the journal Cancer, offers further important evidence that the routine use of annual screening mammograms among women between 40 and 49 years of age significantly reduces the risk of dying from breast cancer. In this enormous study, women between the ages of 40 and 49 years were separated into two groups, depending upon whether or not they underwent annual screening mammograms between 1986 and 2005 (the average duration of patient follow-up in this study was a very impressive 16 years). In this very powerful research study, young women who underwent annual mammograms accounted for 7.3 million “person-years” of observation, while the young women who did not undergo mammograms accounted for a similarly astonishing 8.8 million “person-years” of observation within this landmark public health study. When the number of breast cancer deaths were assessed in both of these huge groups of young women, the women who underwent routine annual mammograms were found to be 29 percent less likely to die of breast cancer when compared to the young women who did not undergo annual mammograms! (In public health terms, this 29 percent observed reduction in the death rate due to breast cancer is highly clinically significant!)
This public health study, which encompassed the entire country of Sweden, is the largest mammography study of its kind, and its findings are both powerful and persuasive in defense of beginning routine annual screening mammograms at the age of 40 in women who are at average risk of developing breast cancer. It is my hope that the dramatic findings of this huge clinical study will now lay to rest any lingering doubts regarding the effectiveness of screening mammograms, beginning at 40 years of age, in reducing the risk of death due to breast cancer.
In recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I urge our tens of thousands of regular Weekly Health Update readers to join in the global fight against breast cancer. There are numerous organizations and groups, in virtually every community, that are sponsoring fundraising activities throughout October, including the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. Another opportunity to participate (and at no cost!) is to vote for the Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation Army of Women project in the Pepsi Refresh competition! There are also many other worthwhile and deserving fundraising programs available for everyone to become involved in!
For an evidence-based discussion of the critical importance of breast cancer screening, including mammograms, in a cancer prevention lifestyle, order your copy of my new landmark book, “A Cancer Prevention Guide for the Human Race,” from Amazon or Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Vroman’s Bookstore, and other fine bookstores!
Disclaimer: As always, my advice to readers is to seek the advice of your physician before making any significant changes in medications, diet, or level of physical activity Dr. Wascher is an oncologic surgeon, a professor of surgery, a cancer researcher, an oncology consultant, and a widely published author For a different perspective on Dr. Wascher, please click on the following YouTube link: I and the staff of Weekly Health Update would again like to take this opportunity to thank the more than 100,000 health-conscious people, from around the world, who visit this premier global health information website every month. (As of 9/16/2010, more than 1,000,000 health-conscious people have logged onto Weekly Health Update so far this year!) As always, I enjoy receiving your stimulating feedback and questions, and I will continue to try and personally answer as many of your inquiries as I possibly can. |
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