RxPG News : Mammography

Should all women in 40s be routinely screened for breast cancer?

Thu, 05 Apr 2007 11:51:50 PST

Should all women in their 40s be routinely screened for breast cancer? Not necessarily, according to the American College of Physicians. In a new set of guidelines for clinicians of 40-something patients, the group recommends that mammography screening decisions be made on a case-by-case basis. It advises clinicians to discuss the benefits and harms of screening with the patient, as well as each woman's individual cancer risk and preference about screening.

Computerized reminders boost mammography screening rates

Thu, 05 Apr 2007 11:46:38 PST

Findings of a new Mayo Clinic study published this week in Archives of Internal Medicine show that a computerized mail and phone reminder program can significantly increase the percentage of patients receiving preventive health services and improve the value of health care.

Recent declines in breast cancer mortality most significant in women under 70

Tue, 03 Apr 2007 03:03:56 PST

A new study shows that recent declines in breast cancer mortality rates have been most significant among women with estrogen receptor (ER)-positive tumors and women younger than 70. The results of the study are being published online April 2 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology (JCO).

Study shows higher mortality rates in African and African American women with breast cancer

Wed, 21 Feb 2007 07:49:30 PST

African and African American women are more likely to die of breast cancer than their white counterparts because they tend to get the disease before the menopause, suggests new research from the University of East Anglia and the Childrenï¿½s Hospital Boston in collaboration with researchers in the US and Italy.

New approaches in breast cancer management may lead to exciting new nonsurgical tools

Mon, 12 Feb 2007 03:21:52 PST

Aggressive research currently underway brings hope of dramatic advances in breast cancer management, according to a new review. Published in the March 15, 2007 issue of CANCER a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the review reveals that new approaches in breast cancer imaging, investigations into the timing of chemotherapy, and research on breast cancer vaccines may lead to exciting new nonsurgical tools for the physician treating breast cancer patients. These new tools may significantly alter current screening and treatment paradigms used by surgical oncologists, as well improving the care of patients.

Technology can't replace doctors' judgment in reading mammograms

Mon, 04 Dec 2006 15:05:28 PST

Radiologists should not become too dependent on the use of computer-assisted detection (CAD) technology when reading screening mammograms because the doctors can see lesions that CAD sometimes misses. This is according to a study conducted at Group Health Cooperative, a Seattle based health care system. The research appears in the December issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology.