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Making Strides Against Breast Cancer
Nearly everyone has been affected by breast cancer in some way. Either a family member or a friend has had to deal with this diagnosis. When someone close to you goes through the process of breast cancer treatment, it can motivate you to become involved in volunteer or charitable organizations. There are a lot of organizations out there raising money for breast cancer research and education…and it can be tough to decide which one you want to join.
After a lot of careful thought, I’ve partnered with the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer. The American Cancer Society has changed legislation in Florida to get smoking out of our restaurants (Thank goodness!!). They were instrumental in the creation of tamoxifen – a medicine used in breast cancer patients. I see my patients benefit from the American Cancer Society’s work on a daily basis. My patients have received wigs during chemotherapy, transportation to and from appointments, prosthetic bras after surgery, and tons of educational materials – all provided free from the funds raised by the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Program.
This year, I have chosen to volunteer as the Event Chairman for the Making Strides Event. For those of you who do not know, the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk will be held October 9th, 2010 at Huizenga Park at 7:30 am. I am encouraging everyone who has been touched by this disease to form a team, raise money, and then join us at Huizenga Park on October 9th. You really can make a difference!!
If you’re interested, please click here to visit the ACS Making Strides website.
Breast Screening Recommendations
This past November I was watching the morning news when I heard about new breast screening recommendations by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. I was horrified! The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendations on screening mammography and self breast exams are not supported by evidence-based studies. The American Society of Breast Disease (a well respected group of breast specialists to which I belong) responded to the government’s new guidelines with the following:
The new U.S. Preventive Services Task Force’s recommendations on screening mammography, clinical breast exam, and self-examination conflict with the facts. There has been no new evidence to justify this questionable change in breast cancer screening guidelines.
The American Society of Breast Disease continues to recommend annual mammography for all women beginning at age 40. This position is based on long-standing, evidence-based studies which document that mammography saves lives through early detection.
The fact that only 50% of American women over age 40 have had a mammogram in the past year indicates that women need to be further encouraged rather than discouraged from obtaining this simple, non-invasive test. At a time of limited healthcare resources, prevention and early detection continue to be the most cost-effective means to control the economic and human burden of breast cancer. Although it is not perfect, mammography is the best screening tool we have, in terms of overall accuracy, cost, and practicality.
Forty years of research have yielded progressively convincing evidence of the benefits of screening mammography. Long-term follow-up of randomized controlled population-based screening trials – the gold standard in medical research – prove that mammography can reduce breast cancer mortality as much as 32% among women ages 40 to 70 years at entry into screening. Some recent studies from Sweden have found that mammography can lower breast cancer deaths by nearly 50%.
As dedicated breast specialists, we agree with the multiple studies that document a reduction in breast cancer deaths due to early detection of breast cancer through regular screening. In contrast to the USPSTF recommendation, the American Society of Breast Disease continues to encourage monthly breast self-examination as an integral part of every woman’s health routine, along with an annual clinical breast examination by a trained healthcare professional.
For most women, predicting breast cancer risk on the basis of possible risk factors can be unreliable. Fully 70% of all women diagnosed with breast cancer had no known risk before the time of diagnosis.
The current flurry of media-hyped recommendations will only serve to confuse the public. To advise women age 40 and older to skip annual screening because they have no family history of the disease is imprudent, irresponsible, and places their lives at unnecessary jeopardy.
Executive Committee: Gail Lebovic, MD is a Dallas-based oncoplastic breast surgeon and Society president; Stephen A Feig, MD is a breast imager at University of California, Irvince, and president-elect; Julio A Ibarra, MD is a pathologist at MemorialCare Hospital, Fountain Valley, California, and Society past president; Robert W. Carlson, MD is a medical oncologist at Stanford University and Society secretary/treasurer.
I hope this statement from a respected group of breast specialists helps to clear up any confusion about screening breast imaging and examinations.
If you’re 40 – start getting your mammograms!!
Professional & Personal Changes
What a busy summer it’s been!! A lot of great changes have taken place in my life recently – both professionally and personally. I was married on July 4th under the Independence Day fireworks. My husband, Chance T. Kaplan, MD is a Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon who operates at Holy Cross Hospital among others. Together, we work to give our patients great cosmetic outcomes in addition to providing a cure for their cancer. I have decided to take his last name, so my new name is Dr. Marnie Kaplan.
Besides getting married, I’ve moved into a new office on the 1st floor of the Michael and Diane Bienes Cancer Center. It’s a beautiful and relaxing place to visit with patients. We continue to have an ultrasound machine available to perform evaluation and biopsy of breast and thyroid lesion the day of your first visit if necessary. Stop in to see the gorgeous photographic artwork decorating our office!
Breast Ultrasounds Are Essential
I recently attended the annual American Society of Breast Surgeons meeting in San Diego. One of the points that was stressed at the meeting was that breast surgeons should be using breast ultrasound – both in their offices and in the operating room.
In the office, breast ultrasound acts as an extension of the physical exam. When a woman comes to my office with a breast lump, I can immediately perform an ultrasound to help diagnose the cause of the lump. It can also be used to better assess the lymph nodes under the arm. Further, if the ultrasound findings are concerning, I can use the ultrasound to guide a biopsy or aspiration. All of this can be done at the patient’s first visit to get a diagnosis as soon as possible. Waiting for a diagnosis causes a lot of anxiety, and having an ultrasound in my office speeds the process along so we can get an answer fast.
In the operating room, ultrasound can be used to visualize the lesion that needs to be removed. Seeing the lesion clearly allows the surgeon to make smaller incisions that can be placed in more cosmetically appealing locations. It can also be used to make sure that the lesion is removed completely with adequate margins.
Overall, ultrasound is rapidly becoming a necessity for breast surgeons. Besides having the actual machine available, breast surgeons need to be trained to perform, interpret, and document breast ultrasound properly. Having completed a breast fellowship, I was fortunate to obtain the training needed for breast ultrasound. I have the ultrasound available in both my office and in the operating room, and use it to provide the most up-to-date care to my patients.
About the Center
The Michael & Dianne Bienes Comprehensive Cancer Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida is the Cancer Care Leader in Broward County. Dedicated to providing patients with precise diagnosis, the latest and most advanced treatment and aftercare options, we offer a multidisciplinary approach to care, a compassionate and spiritual healing environment, and an affiliation with the National Cancer Institute. We are also working together with Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center to provide South Florida residents with rapid access to specialized cancer care and genetics counseling.
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