ASK KAREN: Is breast screen a good idea?
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Karen McNew
WSLS 10 News Anchor
Published: November 5, 2008
Is breast screen a good idea?
QUESTION: What was the name of the new breast cancer screening technique that was mentioned during the 5 p.m. news? The test costs approximately $75 and was said to be highly effective in detecting breast problems well in advance of a regular mammogram.
ANSWER: The device is called the Halo Breast Pap Test, and from what I have found, the closest offices that have the technology are in Maryland, Washington D.C. and South Carolina.
I decided to consult further with one of our 10 On Your Side Health experts about whether it was worth making a trip several hours away to go through the diagnostic exam.
Dr. Bill Fintel with Blue Ridge Cancer Care says, “It is new and exciting technology to be sure, and
using modern molecular examination, even better than the light microscope used in PAP smears. But, there are many questions.”
Those questions include:
*Could there be a better way to look for tiny evidence of cancer in a woman’s body, like the bloodstream?
*How much of the breast is missed?
*What about tumors that occur far from the nipple?
*Has the implementation of this test been tested for years to see if it actually saves lives like the PAP smear and the mammogram have done?
Doctor Fintel adds that at this point driving 3 to 4 hours to get the latest thing may not provide you with the level of assurance you are looking for when it comes to detecting breast cancer in its early stages.
“Like so many other things, this is a “stay-tuned” situation, where I, as a clinician, want to see the evidence of how this test saves lives.”
Ultimately, your wife has the right idea to talk to her physician about what is best for her individual needs. Anything that creates awareness of breast cancer prevention and detection and causes us to seek further information benefits us all in the long run.
Link to more 10 On Your Side Information about the test and breast cancer treatments through http://www.wsls.com , click lifestyles and then health.
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Posted by ( crispy daisy ) on November 05, 2008 at 4:22 pm
Cosmo, this is from the Mayo Clinic web site; you can find similar statistics elsewhere:
“Breast cancer rates fell between 2001 and 2004 — particularly in 2003. Breast cancer rates among women age 50 and older were almost 9 percent lower in 2004 than they were in 2001, according to an analysis published in the New England Journal of Medicine on April 19, 2007. The sharpest decline — 7 percent — came in 2003.“
It appears that 2004 is the last year for which there are statistics.
Please show me where I said that the Cancer Center isn’t interested in money. Unfortunately, treatment for any kind of medical condition costs money. It’s apparently the American way.
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Posted by ( Cosmo Wafflefoot ) on November 05, 2008 at 3:29 pm
It’s my old friend (crispy daisy)!
Breast cancer rates have been climbing my entire life with no end in sight. But, what the heck, have you seen the new flat screed TVs at Centra? I understand that now they have an anti nausea pill that only costs $100.
You are right and I am wrong. They are a great bunch. Not interested in money AT ALL.
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Posted by ( crispy daisy ) on November 05, 2008 at 12:18 pm
Right, Cosmo. Much better to ignore it and die.
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Posted by ( Cosmo Wafflefoot ) on November 05, 2008 at 11:57 am
Remember, the earlier you can detect cancer the earlier the bloodsucking ghouls down at the “Cancer Center” and the generous folks at your friendly pharmaceutical company can begin to get their hooks into you.
It’s the biggest and best of the “Growth Industries”.
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