inCapitalHealth » Breast Cancer treatment in London

Breast Screening – is it worth it?

ICH Team — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 17:47:57 +0000

There has been recent controversy regarding the benefits of breast screening. All types of medical screening have their drawbacks including:

Missed diagnoses
Further investigations which turn out to be unnecessary
Anxiety caused by recalls
Treatment for conditions that would have never caused any problems if they had been left alone.

For breast cancer the only type of screening that has proven to be effective is regular routine mammography. A mammogram is a breast X-ray so an additional problem with this type of screening is the exposure to radiation. However breast cancer is a major health problem and an effective form of screening is desirable. It is the commonest type of cancer that affects women, with 1 in 9 females in the UK being diagnosed. Screening for breast cancer should be particularly effective because it is one of those cancers where catching it at an early stage makes a huge difference to the chance of cure. There are a number of reasons why the survival rates from breast cancer have improved steadily over the last thirty years, but it is thought that the most important factor has been early diagnosis.

Leading breast cancer consultant Mr Beechey-Newman provides the latest thinking behind the ‘why’s’ and ‘who’ to screen, plus answers common questions such as:

What is a mammogram?
Does breast screening work?
The problem with mammograms
Unnecessary treatment?
Unnecessary anxiety?
Who should be screened?
What are the surgical benefits?

Read the Facts About Breast Screening.

Breast Screening in London

ICH Team — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 10:44:09 +0000

Routine breast screening is fairly well established in many countries, but there has been recent controversy regarding its benefits. All types of medical screening have their drawbacks including missed diagnoses, further investigations that turn out to be unnecessary, anxiety caused by recalls, and treatment for conditions that would have never caused any problems if they had been left alone.

For breast cancer the only type of screening that has proven to be effective is regular routine mammography according to leading London breast cancer expert Mr Nicolas Beechey-Newman Consultant Surgeon and Clinical Director, The Lister Hospital. A mammogram is a breast X-ray so an additional problem with this type of screening is the exposure to radiation. However breast cancer is a major health problem and an effective form of screening is very desirable. It is the commonest type of cancer that affects women, with 1 in 9 females in the UK being diagnosed with the problem during their lifetime.

Screening for breast cancer should be particularly effective because it is one of those cancers where catching it at an early stage makes a huge difference to the chance of cure. There are a number of reasons why the survival rates from breast cancer have improved steadily over the last thirty years, but it is thought that the most important factor has been early diagnosis.

Nicolas Beechey-Newman has written about Breast Screening - his article answers common questions such as:

What is mammography?
Does screening work?
What are the benefits of surgery?
What is the ideal age to screen?

Women opt for surgery to reduce cancer risk

ICH Team — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 08:12:51 +0000

Many women with a high risk of breast or ovarian cancer have surgery to remove their breasts or ovaries in order to reduce the likelihood of developing cancer UK research reports.

The study included 211 women, aged 35 to 45, with BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutations, which are known to increase the risk of breast and ovarian cancer. The women found out about their increased risk after undergoing genetic testing.

“Women have their breasts or ovaries removed based on their risk. It does not always happen immediately after counseling or a genetic test result and can take more than seven years for patients to decide to go forward with surgery,” lead researcher Dr. D. Gareth Evans, a consultant in clinical genetics at the Genesis Prevention Center, University Hospital of South Manchester NHS Trust, and professor at the University of Manchester, said in a news release. Read the full story

Early Diagnosis of Second Breast Cancers Improves Survival Chances

ICH Team — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 09:51:10 +0000

Cancerconsultants.com spotted a study published in the Annals of Oncology which concudes that early detection of second breast cancers (prior to symptoms) results in a diagnosis of early-stage cancer and improves survival by 27-47%

Breast cancer survivors are at an increased risk of developing secondary breast cancers, either in the same breast if they have undergone breast-conserving surgery or in the opposite breast. As a result, it is important that this population of women undergoes regular screening. Here’s the link to the CancerConsultants piece.

Enhanced Digital Breast Imaging From US Navy-Funded Technology

ICH Team — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 07:44:07 +0000

A breakthrough technology adapted for breast cancer detection based in part on research originally sponsored by the Office of Naval Research was revealed July 23 during a CNN International news segment hosted by Dr. Sanjay Gupta. Read the whole story on Medical News Today.

Cyberknife story

ICH Team — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 07:53:46 +0000

Last week I noticed a flurry of stories in the mainstream media about Cyberknife – “an advanced form of radiotherapy for inoperable cancer”.

BBC

Daily Mail

Daily Express

The PR agency deserves a pat on the back.

Cancer screening has limited benefit

ICH Team — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 08:05:29 +0000

One upshot of the decades-long fight against cancer is the popular belief that healthy people should regularly examine their bodies or undergo screening because early detection saves lives. This breast cancer story in the New York Times questions the effectiveness of cancer screening. Except for a few types of cancer, routine screening has not been proven to reduce the death toll from cancer for people without specific symptoms or risk factors — like a breast lump or a family history of cancer — and could even lead to harm, many experts on health say.

Who Gets Breast Cancer and Who Survives?

ICH Team — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 08:32:25 +0000

Breast cancer isn’t the death sentence it used to be — mortality rates in the United States are currently 24 percent lower than they were just 17 years ago. Other stats in this story by the San Francisco Chronicle are scarier. Scientists now know who’s most likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer and they can also predict who’s most likely not to survive.

Breast cancer screening means 1 in 3 have unnecessary treatment?

ICH Team — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 09:53:31 +0000

According a piece in to the Guardian’s Health and Wellbeing section - written in partnership with the BMJ – one in three women diagnosed with breast cancer after a screening test will have slow-growing forms of cancer that could safely go untreated, according to new research. Although breast cancer screening saves lives, it also means that some women go through the worry and side effects of unnecessary treatment.

Cancer screening motivated by fear

ICH Team — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 07:20:27 +0000

Fear plays a significant role in whether women decide to go for cancer screening according to a study published in the Journal of Advanced Nursing. Researchers also found that medical professionals wrongly assume women will ask for information if they want it.

Dr. Kelly Ackerson and Dr. Stephanie Preston reviewed 19 studies involving 5,991 women ages 14-80 from 1994-2008.