New Danish guidelines advising the population not to perform BSEs are supported by a review – to be released later today – of BSE studies previously conducted in Russia and China. The review, co-authored by Dr. Peter Gotzsche, suggests that breast self-exams do not reduce deaths from cancer and “cannot be recommended.”

I requested a copy of the review so I could investigate the issue for you. Here’s the deal:

The review was conducted by The Cochrane Collaboration. The conclusions are indeed as follows:

Data from two large trials do not suggest a beneficial effect of screening by breast self-examination but do suggest increased harm in terms of increased numbers of benign lesions identified and an increased number of biopsies performed. At present, screening by breast self-examination or physical examination cannot be recommended.

The problem seemed to be the high incidence of biopsies based on Breast Self Exam (BSE) that did not result in malignancies. My strong opinion is that a biopsy that gives a woman a clean bill of health is worth the cost of the procedure and the resulting anxiety if the alternative is an advanced stage breast cancer detection!

The author of the review (Dr. Peter Gøtzsche, director of the Nordic Cochrane Centre and Lecturer in medical science theory and ethics at Copenhagen University) did say in his report that “It would be wrong, however, to conclude that women need not be aware of any breast changes.” He stated these implications for research:

It is unlikely that additional trials investigating breast self-examination as a single general screening method would be worthwhile.

That makes a difference — it’s not recommended as a single general screening method (I’m not sure any one said BSE was being used as one though). Meanwhile, the ABC News Medical Unit reported on this story today. They presented both sides of the debate and included in their article the American Cancer Society most likely wouldn’t change their recommendation that BSE is an option for women starting in their 20s. I’d love for someone at the ACS to confirm or deny that opinion.

I’m with Dr. Weiss on this point:

“Early detection of breast cancer is crucial not only to the ‘survivorship’ of a patient, but to her quality of life while treating the cancer, and thereafter. For many patients, early detection could mean not having to lose a breast through mastectomy or not having to experience aggressive chemotherapy,” says Dr. Weiss.

Maybe, just maybe, a diagnosis spreads some light and sheds some clarity in this debate. Don’t you agree?

Post from: Blisstree

Controversial Findings About Breast Self Exam Explained

Do you ever ask yourself any of these questions:

• How many days ago did I open this can of tomato sauce?

• How old is this milk?
• How long has it been since I cleaned the fish tank?
• Have I taken this antibiotic for ten days?
• When was the last time I changed the filter on my cat’s litter box?
• Am I due for a breast self exam ????????

Kathleen Whitehurst is a nine year breast cancer survivor. She and her business partner, Debbie Stephens Stauffer, invented a way to allow families to keep track of these and other lifestyle tasks. It’s called the DaysAgo digital day counter. It has won all kinds of awards and has been featured in several consumer magazines, online and on television.

Here’s how it works. With the touch of a button, you can keep track of anything … all you have to do once you take the unit out of the package is pull the side tab out of the unit to engage the battery, press the button for five seconds to set the timer, and affix it onto any surface via a magnet, suction cup or elastic band (included, but any rubber band will work). The screen displays the number of days elapsed since setting the timer — it’s that easy! The batteries are replaceable, so you can use it over and over again for a myriad of purposes!

I tried one out before writing this post: a demo DaysAgo is on a jar of salsa I just opened to make tonight’s dinner — another is going on one of my flower pots because I’m notorious for forgetting to water my plants. So easy to use — and what a relief to know that two things I used to need to retain can be taken off my list. Life just got easier for me, seriously.

The website has a great refrigerator storage chart, FYI, that everyone should keep handy even if they don’t have one of these counters.

You can buy the DaysAgo online of course, or at Sur La Table, H-E-B, select Whole Foods Markets and The Container Store nationwide!

But listen … here’s why I’m telling you about this gadget guys and girls: Whitehurst’s company, double u products inc., recently introduced a pink DaysAgo counter as part of their commitment to helping women of all ages get into the habit of doing regular BSE by tracking how long it’s been since their last BSE. 10% of the pink DaysAgo sales are donated to breast cancer research. That’s a pink ribbon promise! Can I hear a “wahooo” anyone? WAHOOOOO!

FYI, Kathleen and her daughter Jamie are participating this summer in the Avon 2-Day Walk for Breast Cancer in San Francisco (July 12-13, 2008). For their first walk together, they generated around $20K in pledges — this year, they are hoping to beat that number and I’d like to wish them Godspeed!

But wait, there’s more: I’m giving away one pink DaysAgo counter to a Pink Ribbon Review Reader in an effort to help them track their last BSE!!! Here’s how to win:

Leave a comment on this post owning up to the date of your last BSE (feel free to explain your answer but I’m not here to judge). I’ll award it to someone randomly selected from the list one week from today!

(Image: Savoir Media)

Post from: Blisstree

Can you use a pink DaysAgo Digital Day Counter? (Because I’m Giving One Away!)

“Once we heard, we all started to put a little more effort into the project,” said Robb Bailey, web guy for The Ryde. FYI, Danny should be ok, he’s going into surgery in a few weeks to “nip it in the bud” and hopefully, Robb will update me at that time.

Meanwhile, I also want to share this story. One of my readers over at Discussing Breast Cancer … I’ll call her D because I haven’t been able to get a hold of her to ask if I can share what she shared with me … D’s dad was diagnosed with Stage II IDC in 1988 when he was 63 years old. Long story short, he discovered a lump in his chest that didn’t go away. He had a radical mastectomy. He was ER+ so he went on Tamoxifen, assumed he’d be fine and cancer free for the rest of his life. However, 11 years later, in 1999, he developed flu like symptoms that never quite went away. After a few diagnostic tests, metastatic marks were found on his liver, spine and skull. He started chemo … but passed away in 2001.

Then, just this week, I heard from a new reader here at the Pink Ribbon Review — a man named Fred who spoke up in the comment section of an earlier post. Fred is a 68 year old male and a two year survivor. In May of 2006 he had a modified radical mastectomy and is doing fine now (yeah!).

Male breast cancer is rare but it does happen. It most often afflicts men who are between the ages of 60 & 70. Risk factors include exposure to radiation (usually due to treatment for another cancer inside the chest, like Hodgkins or non-Hodgkins lymphoma), family history of breast cancer and/or abnormalities in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes, high levels of estrogen, heavy alcohol use, liver disease, obesity … something called Klinefelter Syndrome, a congenital condition, present at birth, giving men more than one X chromosome instead of one X and one Y (women have two X chromosomes … remember all this from your school days guys?).

So … what’s my party line? Be vigilant. Be vigilant about doing breast self-exams, both men and women. Be vigilant about getting regular check-ups and physical examinations, both men and women. Be vigilant and get yourself detected if you become one of those ones that develop breast cancer.

If, in the future, I most likely will ‘lean female’ with this blog. But please do not feel excluded if you are a male with breast cancer (or someone who knows a man with breast cancer). Instead, I urge you to stick around and speak up — continue to inform me and my readers about how this disease doesn’t only affect one gender!

Any more stories about male breast cancer that you want to share?

(Image: Karen Lynch)

Post from: Blisstree

Male Breast Cancer

The time of diagnosis matters when it comes to your breast cancer treatment. It matters greatly to your prognosis. The longer you walk around undetected, the worse things get for you, it’s that simple.

Anyway, to recap the latest headlines for you, Ms. Minogue was give an ‘all clear’ after a mammogram, but felt a lump herself just a few weeks later. Hearing that sure made me want to preach again about the importance of a routine BSE; if indeed you have breast cancer, a BSE can help you get that critical early diagnosis.

WrongDiagnosis.com estimates the undiagnosed prevalence of breast cancer is 1 million. It’s not that common to be misdiagnosed, to be walking around thinking you’re free and clear when in fact you have the disease. So who else goes undetected? Who makes up the majority of those 1 million people? Those that don’t do BSE, don’t get regular mammograms, don’t think they need to worry about breast cancer or can’t afford regular healthcare. I’m talking about young adults, underprivileged women, males … (did you read Fred’s comment about his diagnosis on my Pink Ribbon Giveaway post from Tuesday? Thank you so much for sharing that one, Fred.)

It is so important to go for a baseline mammogram if you are 35, and get annual mammograms once you turn 40 (for the record, if you have a family history of breast cancer, you should talk to your doctor about when you should start receiving regular mammograms — you are in an entirely different ballgame).

Back to Ms. Minogue … another point she wanted to make when discussing her misdiagnosis was the need to listen to your body. “You must follow your intuition and if you have any doubt go back again,” she said. I couldn’t agree more. Listening to my body saved my life.

SO … have you listened to your intuition? What has it told you? Do share!

Photo: sunrise.seven on flickr

Post from: Blisstree

Misdiagnosed Breast Cancer

When she posted this on You Tube, she says the video “is also for anyone who needs a little support and positive thinking while going through this trying time. God Bless you all!”

Thanks Becky. Enjoy all!

Post from: Blisstree

Survivor Inspiration: I Get Knocked Down Video

Once women are in their twenties, they should start giving themselves monthly breast self-exams (BSE). Many survivors discovered lumps in their breasts themselves; they feel they owe their lives to BSE. (By the way, if you want to share your story about this particular aspect of early diagnosis, I’d love to read about it. Just type it in the comment section below!)

Was it a BSE that saved my life? No. BSEs were completely foreign to me when I was younger. I was tuned in enough to my body to notice that something wasn’t right, however. And of course now I can’t keep my hands off my breasts and am completely diligent!

Here’s a quick tutorial if you’ve never done a BSE:

1. First off, before you even start, get somewhere private, get yourself topless (fun!) and take a look at your breasts in a mirror. You’re basically looking for any change in size, shape, shade or contour from one month to the next.
2. Then, lie down (preferably somewhere comfortable) and place your right arm behind your head. (When you lie down your breast tissue will spread evenly over your chest wall therefore making it much easier to feel all your breast tissue.)
3. Use the pads of your three middle fingers on your left hand to feel for lumps in the right breast. Move in overlapping, dime-sized circular motions, working your way around your entire breast (sort of the way a zamboni cleans an ice rink if you’ve ever been to a hockey game). Make sure you work from the underarm across the breast to the middle of your chest bone then work down from your neck or collar bone until you feel only ribs.
4. Repeat the exam on your left breast, using the fingers on your right hand.

Lots of the organizations on my blogroll include BSE information on their sites. One in particular is this great site funded by the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation that I’d highly recommend to anyone wanting to learn more about this BSE.

Do a BSE every month — around the same time each month so that your monthly cycle doesn’t throw you for a loop. Do it right after your period ends. Or, when you pay the rest/your mortgage. Or, after a PTA meeting.What other reminders are there … if you have/can think of one, share it with the world via the comment section below!

Post from: Blisstree

How to do a Breast Self Exam