Showing posts with label Women At Risk (WAR). Show all posts
Showing posts with label Women At Risk (WAR). Show all posts
Monday, December 3, 2012
Breast Cancer Health
Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: Ladies, be vigilant and do a monthly self-examination, and see your ob/gyn at least once a year; twice if you are taking birth control pills or have an IUD. Self examination includes checking forany changes in the shape of your breasts, changes in skin color and texture, and discharges.
Monday, October 10, 2011
It's October and Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Ok folks....I don't know about you but say 'breast cancer' and the hairs on the back of my neck start to prickle. Breast cancer not only affects women, but men as well. It doesn't discriminate age, race, religion or socioeconomic strata. It kills, it deforms, it stinks! Let me introduce to you a wonderful organization that will help ANY woman out there today, tomorrow and the next day. I'm a member of this great group that makes a difference in women's lives everyday:
Women At Risk is the breast cancer program of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center whose mission is to enhance the lives of women at high risk for, or with, breast cancer through research, education and support. For more information, visit us at http://www.womenatrisknyc.org/ or
http://www.womenatriskblog.com/.
Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: Whether you like your boobs or not, make certain you take good care of your breast health. Regular breast examinations by you or your partner (many times, lumps are found by a sexual partner) can help keep you healthy. Get your regularly scheduled mammogram....I don't care what anyone says; a little bit of radiation today beats the hell out of losing a breast next year.
Women At Risk is the breast cancer program of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center whose mission is to enhance the lives of women at high risk for, or with, breast cancer through research, education and support. For more information, visit us at http://www.womenatrisknyc.org/ or
http://www.womenatriskblog.com/.
Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: Whether you like your boobs or not, make certain you take good care of your breast health. Regular breast examinations by you or your partner (many times, lumps are found by a sexual partner) can help keep you healthy. Get your regularly scheduled mammogram....I don't care what anyone says; a little bit of radiation today beats the hell out of losing a breast next year.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Have you had your Pap Smear and Mammogram Recently?
Yesterday, I went for my annual mammogram and thought I would repost this blog today for you:
This one is for the ladies today. It occurred to me that many of you are lax in getting your pap smears and mammograms. Here's some info you definitely SHOULD read! And for you girls out there who don't like to touch yourselves, THAT'S WHAT YOUR GUY IS THERE FOR!! HAVE SOME FUN AND LET YOUR MAN EXAMINE YOUR BREASTS! Seriously, did you know that it is usually the sex partner who initially detects breast lumps? Think about it...who better knows your breasts than the one who plays most with them???
The 2009 US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) guidelines on mammography and breast examination are controversial and the following facts should be seriously considered.
Breast cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in women. Breast cancer claims more than 40,000 lives each year. Only lung cancer reigns as the number one cancer killer. The mammography has been highly effective in the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. Historically, the USPSTF has recommended mammograms every 1-2 years for women who turn 40 years of age. Recently, the new guidelines recommend commencing mammography screening at age 50 until reaching the age of 74 and only one test every two years.
The USPSTF has determined that early screening adds only 2 lives saved per 1000 women screened. Screening women in their 50s averts "only" 1 death in every 1300 women screened, and screening women in their 40s prevents only 1 death in every 1900. Only one death might not seem so bad….unless that statistic is you, your mother, sister, wife, friend or significant other!
The American Cancer Society has stated that "The new guidelines are essentially telling women that mammography age 40 to 49 saves lives...just not enough of them”. 22% of breast cancer deaths occur in women in their 50s, 17% occur in women in their 40s.
The 2009 guidelines discourage teaching breast self-exam to patients, stating that this practice leads to more procedures, false alarms and unneeded biopsies, and doesn't reduce breast cancer mortality. They cite no conclusions on the value of clinical breast exam.
There is no recommendation for the preferable screening method (plain film, digital mammography, or MRI).
The USPSTF disclaimer reads: "This recommendation applies to women age 40 and older who are not at increased risk (of breast cancer) by virtue of a known genetic mutation or a history of chest radiation."
Healthcare reform is a priority of the national agenda presently, and these new guidelines could very well be used as fodder by insurance companies to use as a baseline to limit or restrict screening and testing that have been proven to be very effective tools in early detection and treatment of breast cancer.
Of course, mammography is not a perfect tool, but as a woman, I’d rather be safe now than sorry later on.
The American Cancer Society, the American College of Radiology, and the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology say starting mammograms at age 40 is still the way to go. As a healthcare professional, I stand with this statement and I hope all who read this will agree. Go get the squeeze... please!
Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: For more information on breast cancer, examinations and all other questions, please log onto the following NCI (National Cancer Institute) website: http://www.cancer.gov/cancerinfo/screening/breast
This one is for the ladies today. It occurred to me that many of you are lax in getting your pap smears and mammograms. Here's some info you definitely SHOULD read! And for you girls out there who don't like to touch yourselves, THAT'S WHAT YOUR GUY IS THERE FOR!! HAVE SOME FUN AND LET YOUR MAN EXAMINE YOUR BREASTS! Seriously, did you know that it is usually the sex partner who initially detects breast lumps? Think about it...who better knows your breasts than the one who plays most with them???
The 2009 US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) guidelines on mammography and breast examination are controversial and the following facts should be seriously considered.
Breast cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in women. Breast cancer claims more than 40,000 lives each year. Only lung cancer reigns as the number one cancer killer. The mammography has been highly effective in the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. Historically, the USPSTF has recommended mammograms every 1-2 years for women who turn 40 years of age. Recently, the new guidelines recommend commencing mammography screening at age 50 until reaching the age of 74 and only one test every two years.
The USPSTF has determined that early screening adds only 2 lives saved per 1000 women screened. Screening women in their 50s averts "only" 1 death in every 1300 women screened, and screening women in their 40s prevents only 1 death in every 1900. Only one death might not seem so bad….unless that statistic is you, your mother, sister, wife, friend or significant other!
The American Cancer Society has stated that "The new guidelines are essentially telling women that mammography age 40 to 49 saves lives...just not enough of them”. 22% of breast cancer deaths occur in women in their 50s, 17% occur in women in their 40s.
The 2009 guidelines discourage teaching breast self-exam to patients, stating that this practice leads to more procedures, false alarms and unneeded biopsies, and doesn't reduce breast cancer mortality. They cite no conclusions on the value of clinical breast exam.
There is no recommendation for the preferable screening method (plain film, digital mammography, or MRI).
The USPSTF disclaimer reads: "This recommendation applies to women age 40 and older who are not at increased risk (of breast cancer) by virtue of a known genetic mutation or a history of chest radiation."
Healthcare reform is a priority of the national agenda presently, and these new guidelines could very well be used as fodder by insurance companies to use as a baseline to limit or restrict screening and testing that have been proven to be very effective tools in early detection and treatment of breast cancer.
Of course, mammography is not a perfect tool, but as a woman, I’d rather be safe now than sorry later on.
The American Cancer Society, the American College of Radiology, and the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology say starting mammograms at age 40 is still the way to go. As a healthcare professional, I stand with this statement and I hope all who read this will agree. Go get the squeeze... please!
Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: For more information on breast cancer, examinations and all other questions, please log onto the following NCI (National Cancer Institute) website: http://www.cancer.gov/cancerinfo/screening/breast
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Traditional Chinese Medicine: A Drug-Free Method And The Treatment of Menopause
Traditional Chinese Medicine: A Drug-Free Method And The Treatment of Menopause
Part One of a Two Part Blog
In 2002, a government-funded study called the Women's Health Initiative raised grave and serious concerns about HRT's (Hormone Replacement Therapy) benefits and risks. These concerns led to nearly two-thirds of women who were on HRT to cease treatment. HRT is a hormonal replacement treatment that will increase a woman’s natural hormone levels. Estrogen-alone therapy (ET) is prescribed for women who have had a hysterectomy. Estrogen with progesterone therapy (EPT) is prescribed for women who experience menopause naturally.
So, What Happens During Menopause? Estrogen (working with progesterone) helps the body to process calcium (important for bone strength), helps to maintain healthy cholesterol levels and a healthy vagina. When menopause begins, the levels of natural estrogen and progesterone decrease rapidly and drastically. This is what causes the symptoms of hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, painful intercourse, mood changes, and insomnia. It is at this time that there can also be the risk of osteoporosis. Women who are experiencing a naturally occurring menopause should not take estrogen replacement, because can increase the risk of developing cancer of the endometrium (the lining of the uterus). Unnaturally high amounts of estrogen at this time of life can cause an overgrowth of uterine cells, which can lead to cancer. The addition of progesterone therapy decreases the risk of endometrial cancer by causing the endometrium to shed each month – but should a woman really be playing with nature in this manner? Nature has a very strange way of repelling and battling against anything foreign to it, and HRT can be deemed foreign to the immune system.
Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: Stay Tuned for Tomorrow’s Blog: Learn how you can overcome the symptoms of menopause …naturally and drug-free with acupuncture and Chinese herbal therapy. Learn how you could eliminate hot flashes, night sweats and a dry vagina in just a few weeks with Chinese Medicine.
Part One of a Two Part Blog
In 2002, a government-funded study called the Women's Health Initiative raised grave and serious concerns about HRT's (Hormone Replacement Therapy) benefits and risks. These concerns led to nearly two-thirds of women who were on HRT to cease treatment. HRT is a hormonal replacement treatment that will increase a woman’s natural hormone levels. Estrogen-alone therapy (ET) is prescribed for women who have had a hysterectomy. Estrogen with progesterone therapy (EPT) is prescribed for women who experience menopause naturally.
So, What Happens During Menopause? Estrogen (working with progesterone) helps the body to process calcium (important for bone strength), helps to maintain healthy cholesterol levels and a healthy vagina. When menopause begins, the levels of natural estrogen and progesterone decrease rapidly and drastically. This is what causes the symptoms of hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, painful intercourse, mood changes, and insomnia. It is at this time that there can also be the risk of osteoporosis. Women who are experiencing a naturally occurring menopause should not take estrogen replacement, because can increase the risk of developing cancer of the endometrium (the lining of the uterus). Unnaturally high amounts of estrogen at this time of life can cause an overgrowth of uterine cells, which can lead to cancer. The addition of progesterone therapy decreases the risk of endometrial cancer by causing the endometrium to shed each month – but should a woman really be playing with nature in this manner? Nature has a very strange way of repelling and battling against anything foreign to it, and HRT can be deemed foreign to the immune system.
Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day: Stay Tuned for Tomorrow’s Blog: Learn how you can overcome the symptoms of menopause …naturally and drug-free with acupuncture and Chinese herbal therapy. Learn how you could eliminate hot flashes, night sweats and a dry vagina in just a few weeks with Chinese Medicine.
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