New Guidelines for Breast Cancer Screening in High-Risk Women.
The American College of Radiology issued new breast cancer screening guidelines this April, this is the first time to recognize African American women as high-risk category. In summary, the ACR advocate that all high-risk women, especially black women and those of Ashkenazi Jewish descent, should be evaluated for breast cancer risk no later than age 30 so that those at higher risk can be identified and can benefit from supplemental screening. Please click here for details, for further details and actual recommendation, click here.
In Early breast cancer, low muscle mass is associated with poor overall survival.
In a recent study published in JAMA, patients diagnosed with stage II or III breast cancer and have lower muscle mass (Sarcopenia) appears to have poor overall survival, for details please click here.
March 2018
Chemotherapy responders may not need sentinel lymph node biopsy.
Two new studies were presented at the 11th European Breast Cancer Conference indicate that patients who are either HER2 positive or triple negative and have no evidence of lymph node involvement at presentation (cN0) when given upfront chemotherapy with the subsequent complete resolution of the breast tumor, such patients are unlikely to have disease in the axillary lymph nodes at the time of surgery, thus such patient may be spared sentinel lymph node biopsy, for more details please click here.
Breast Cancer Genetic Screening Without Doctor Visit.
The FDA recently approved genetic screening through commercial kit provided by 23andMe. Now BRCA1, 2 screening can be done by patients without physicians ordering the tests. I should, however, instruct concerned patients to consult with their physicians for a much broader discussion regarding the implication of testing. For details please click here.
New Clinical Guideline for Whole Breast radiation.
The American Society for Radiation Therapy (ASTRO) issued new clinical guidelines regarding the use of shorter course of whole breast radiation therapy known as hypofractionated therapy. Under the new guidelines, more women with breast cancer can be treated in shorter duration and a higher dose of radiation. Hypofractionated therapy up until now was reserved for a specific group of patient, with the new guidelines more women can be candidates for such approach, for details please click here.
Lowering heart disease complications related to anti Her2 therapy.
A study recently presented at American College of Cardiology 2018 meeting demonstrated that patients who received either lisinopril or carvedilol had lower cardiac adverse effect associated with Herceptin therapy, for more details click here.