Today’s news is incredible.  Not only are women shocked and concerned but so are their physicians!  As most women have probably heard, the USPSTF (US Preventative Services Task Force) has changed the guidelines for routine screening mammography.  The 2009 USPSTF judged that although women in their 40s and women in their 50s benefit equally from routine screening mammography, women in their 40s experience greater harms from screening than do women in their 50s. Therefore, the USPSTF recommended routine screening for women aged 50-74 years but recommended against routine screening for women in their 40s.

It’s important to know that the current USPSTF panel is not made up of women haters, nor did they make their recommendations based totally on the bottom line: $$$.  While it is true that there are many false positives with routine screening for women in their 4os,  it  is also true is that more lives are saved by early intervention.  The bottom line is that many questions have yet to be answered.

For now,  ACOG (American  College of Obstetrics and Gynecology) has not changed their  screening recommendations.  For women 40-49, a screening mammography is recommended every 1-2 years.  Women 50  and older should have yearly screening.  There is no change to the recommendation that women continue self breast examination.

What effect this all will have on insurance coverage remains to be seen.   At Atlanta Women’s Specialists,  the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology recommendations will continue to be followed.

 Maria Arias MD

About 7% of all breast cancers are inherited. Some of the risk factors for breast cancer include; female gender, increasing age, increased alcohol consumption, prolonged estrogenic exposure, Ashkenazi or Eastern Jewish descent and family history of breast cancer.  Studies show that the inheritance of germ-line mutations (alterations) of the tumor-suppressor genes known as BRCA-1 and BRCA-2 increases the lifetime risk of breast cancer by 65-70%.  BRCA-1 and BRCA-2 mutations are located on chromosomes 17 and 13 respectively. There are over 1,200 BRCA-1 mutations and greater than 1,300 BRCA-2 mutations. 

If you have a personal or family history of breast and/or ovarian cancer you might benefit from a thorough hereditary cancer risk assessment.  If possible, the testing should start with a family member—you, if applicable—who has been diagnosed with breast or ovarian cancer. Testing someone diagnosed with cancer enables geneticists to specifically target chromosomal mutation sites.  The information gathered via this genetic testing may help customize prevention strategies to further reduce risks of recurrence or primary malignancies. If this is not possible, then the unaffected, at-risk individual will have all of the potential genetic mutation sites tested for the BRCA 1 and 2.

Screening should include a complete personal and family history, extensive genetic counseling with testing, and healthcare planning. If the testing reveals the presence of any of these gene mutations, you will be considered “at increased risk” for breast cancer.  You also will have some prevention strategies to consider, including: closer surveillance, chemoprevention or prophylactic surgical procedures. 

If you have a family history of breast cancer, we recommend you find out more about genetic testing.  For assistance evaluating your genetic testing options, schedule appointment with one of our physicians or nurse practitioners.

You can also get more information about Northside Hospital’s Hereditary Cancer Program from their website www.northside.com.

Juanita Wyatt-Hathaway, MD

Here’s a story that may ring true for you like it does for many of us.  A girlfriend was diagnosed with breast cancer almost 2 years ago. In the beginning, her friends spent a lot of time focusing on the cancer–what stage is the cancer?… is her cancer treatable?…is the cancer in remission? Without realizing it, they were ignoring the most important detail:  how is our friend coping?  It is easy to get wrapped up in the diagnosis and treatment of this disease. It is so much more important to focus on the person who is dealing with this diagnosis.  Some of us learned this the hard way, unfortunately. We know better now.  And recently, we learned about a local facility that knows better, too!

TurningPoint Women’s Healthcare in Alpharetta is dedicated to the well-being of women who are dealing with breast cancer and its treatment effects. TurningPoint provides survivorship support for women in all stages and treatment phases of breast cancer. Several of their staff members are breast cancer survivors.

TurningPoint is a non-profit organization. Many of their educational and support programs are provided free of charge. There is a financial assistance program available to those that may need it. 

They currently provide the following services to Breast Cancer Survivors:

• Physical Therapy
• Exercise Consultation
• Massage Therapy
• Nutrition Services
• Counseling

If you are currently dealing with breast cancer, have a loved one dealing with this disease, or would like to make a donation, visit their website at www.myturningpoint.org.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month!

Did you know that 1 woman out of 8 in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer?

Breast self-exam (BSE) is a tool that may help you become familiar with the way your breasts normally look and feel. BSE may help you find tumors in the time between your annual mammogram and/or clinical breast exam. It may also help you learn what changes in your breasts should be reported to your health care provider. If you notice any changes such as thickening, lumps, spontaneous nipple discharge or skin changes, such as dimpling or puckering see your health care provider right away.

Find a buddy and encourage each other to do monthly Self Breast Exams. You can also encourage each other to get a mammogram.

To support Breast Cancer Awareness Month, AWS will be having “Pretty in Pink Fridays!” We’re encouraging our employees to wear pink or a Race for the Cure t-shirt along with scrubs each Friday throughout this month! Also, don’t forget to wear your pink ribbon pin each day to show your support!

For more information on breast cancer, you can go to the following links:
www.komen.org
www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast