Swedish Mammography Report Finds Benefit In Screening Younger Women

The Swedish study with its positive findings should be scrutinized, yes, but no more or less than the other papers on the same subject that have been highlighted, selectively, in the media. How journalists cover mammography studies, and that they do so with an open mind, matters a lot.

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It’s Not About the Money

If physicians’ potential profit motives cloud the mammography debate, as the authors contend, that doesn’t mean that mammography is ineffective. Rather it signifies that doctors and scientists should analyze data and make clinical decisions in the absence of financial or other conflicts of interest.

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News, and Thoughts, on Comparative Effectiveness Research

What is comparative effectiveness research and why does it matter? The idea, basically, is to inform medical decisions with relevant data derived from well-designed clinical trials. This sort of research will provide the foundation for evidence-based medicine (EBM).

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What’s Missing in the Recent Mammography Value Study

I’d say the oppo­site is true: It’s pre­cisely because there are effec­tive treat­ments for early-stage dis­ease that it’s worth find­ing breast can­cer early. Oth­er­wise, what would be the point?

Metasta­tic breast can­cer is quite costly to treat and, even with some avail­able tar­geted ther­a­pies, remains

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Stepping Back, and Thinking Forward to October

A question central to today’s discussion – which does at least acknowledge the decline in breast cancer mortality – is the extent to which mammography is responsible for this trend, as opposed to other factors such as increased awareness about cancer, better cancer treatments and other variables.

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No More Clipboards

“This caught my interest because it doesn’t diminish physicians’ autonomy,” Blumenthal said. It just enables them to make decisions for their patients in the context of additional, current information. “The end goal is not to adopt technology, but to improve care.”

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A Walk, or Race, for the Cure

“You can get discomboobulated in this place,” a NYC police officer told me today.

This morning, some 25,000 or so men, women and children converged on Central Park for the Susan G. Komen Foundation’s 20th annual Race for the Cure. It was my first time witnessing the event:

Posted in Annals of Pink, Breast Cancer, cancer awareness, cancer survival, Life as a Patient, Life in NYCTagged , , , , , , 2 Comments on A Walk, or Race, for the Cure

Perspective on Screening for Sickle Cell Trait in Student Athletes

In some ways this seems like a pro-active, well-intentioned policy that could save lives. On the other hand, as discussed in the NEJM piece, the new screening policy raises a host of challenging issues:

* how will colleges inform minor players’ parents about results?
* how will the schools handle players’ privacy?…

Posted in Diagnosis, Genetics, Hematology (blood), Medical News, Under the RadarTagged , , , , , , , 2 Comments on Perspective on Screening for Sickle Cell Trait in Student Athletes
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