Friday, October 30, 2009
CSR Recognition Month
In honor of CSR Recognition Month, everyone at the Interim office would like to thank; Diana, Crystal, Andrew and Tracy, for all the hard work and effort they put in each day to keep our nurses busy, clients happy and our business moving forward. Keep up the great work we really appreciate all that you do.
Breast Self Examination
lumps or masses that could be early signs of cancer. Examine yourself on the same day every month (after you do the test demonstrated below, mark your calendar for next month’s test). If you see or feel a change in your breasts, see your doctor immediately. Remember, most of the time breast changes are not cancer, but your doctor should check what has you concerned.
Step 1 Use a mirror to inspect your breasts in the following positions:
• with your arms at your sides
• with your hands on your hips
• with your arms raised while flexing your chest muscles.
Step 2 Look for any changes in contour, swelling, dimpling of skin, or appearance of the nipple. It is normal if your right and left breasts do not match exactly.
Step 3 Use the pads of your fingers to do the following:
• press firmly on your breast, checking the entire breast and armpit area
• move around your breast in a circular, up-and-down, or wedge pattern
• check both breasts
Step 4 There are three patterns you can use to examine your breast. Use the pattern that is easiest for you:
• the circular
• the up-and-down
• the wedge patterns
Use the same pattern every month.
Step 5 Gently squeeze the nipple of each breast and report any discharge to your doctor immediately.
Step 6 Examine both breasts lying down. To examine the right breast, place a pillow under your right shoulder and place your right hand behind your head. Use the pads of your finger to press
firmly, checking the entire breast and armpit area. Use the same pattern you used while standing. Repeat for your left breast.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
How is the Government Helping to Reduce Breast Cancer?
In 1990, to improve women’s access to screening for breast and cervical cancers, Congress passed the Breast and Cervical Cancer Mortality Prevention Act. This Act guided the Centers for Disease Control in creating the NBCCED, a program for detecting breast cancer in low-income, uninsured and under served women. The NBCCEDP provides screening support in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, 4 U. S. territories and 13 American Indian/Alaska Native tribes or tribal organizations. The services offered in this program are:
• Clinical breast examinations
• Mammograms
• Diagnostic testing for women whose screening outcome is abnormal
• Surgical consultation
• Referrals to treatment.
Since 1991 the NBCCEDP has provided more than 6.9 million screening examinations and diagnosed more than 29,900 breast cancers. In 2000 Congress passed the Breast and Cervical Cancer Prevention and Treatment Act which gives states the option to offer women in the NBCCEDP program access to treatment through Medicaid. As of this date, all 50 states and the District of Columbia have approved this Medicaid option. Local doctors, county or state health
departments can provide information about how to enroll in these programs.
• Clinical breast examinations
• Mammograms
• Diagnostic testing for women whose screening outcome is abnormal
• Surgical consultation
• Referrals to treatment.
Since 1991 the NBCCEDP has provided more than 6.9 million screening examinations and diagnosed more than 29,900 breast cancers. In 2000 Congress passed the Breast and Cervical Cancer Prevention and Treatment Act which gives states the option to offer women in the NBCCEDP program access to treatment through Medicaid. As of this date, all 50 states and the District of Columbia have approved this Medicaid option. Local doctors, county or state health
departments can provide information about how to enroll in these programs.
What Can You Do to Reduce Your Risk?
While there have been advances in diagnosing and treating early stage breast cancer, the medical community has been unable to form a consensus as to the most appropriate and effective ways to reduce the risk of developing breast cancer. The best approach seems to be early detection:
1. Get a mammogram. The American Cancer Society recommends having a screening mammogram every year after age 40. Mammograms may detect lumps that cannot be felt during a clinical breast exam or your own self examinations. Mammograms are an important part of your health history. If you go to another health care provider or move, take your previous mammograms with you or arrange to have them sent.
2. Examine your breasts each month and continue these examinations throughout your life. You will become familiar with the contours and feel of your breasts and will be more alert to changes.
3. Have your breasts examined by a health care provider at least every year after age 40. Clinical breast exams by a trained professional – doctor or nurse - can sometimes detect lumps you may not feel.
1. Get a mammogram. The American Cancer Society recommends having a screening mammogram every year after age 40. Mammograms may detect lumps that cannot be felt during a clinical breast exam or your own self examinations. Mammograms are an important part of your health history. If you go to another health care provider or move, take your previous mammograms with you or arrange to have them sent.
2. Examine your breasts each month and continue these examinations throughout your life. You will become familiar with the contours and feel of your breasts and will be more alert to changes.
3. Have your breasts examined by a health care provider at least every year after age 40. Clinical breast exams by a trained professional – doctor or nurse - can sometimes detect lumps you may not feel.
How is Breast Cancer Identified and Diagnosed?
You as an individual are the first stop on the quest to recognize and report any abnormalities in your breasts. By checking your breasts on a monthly basis, a woman is doing the most important task to identify a problem early. Any of the following signs found during a breast self-exam should be reported to a doctor as soon as possible:
• Any lump or thickening in your breast or armpit.
• Any scaly, thickened or inward-turning nipple.
• Any discharge from your nipple.
• Dimpled or reddened skin or sores on your breast.
• Strange veins in any irregular pattern on your breast.
• Breast pain.
Mark your calendar at the same time every month with the initials “BSE” for Breast Self-Exam and support each other in ensuring that a breast exam is done according to the information in the handout that will be given to you at the end of this program. Notify your doctor as soon as possible if you notice any abnormalities.
The monthly self-exam is not the same as that performed by your doctor. The doctor or a trained nurse takes a careful personal and family history, and then performs a clinical breast examination. This examination uses touch to specific areas of the breast and underarm areas to detect any abnormalities or changes.
A mammogram is another type of exam. Mammography is the best way to detect breast cancer in its earliest, most treatable stage. Surprisingly, mammography can detect a tumor on average one to three years before a woman can feel the lump in her breast. Mammography also can locate cancers that are too small to be felt during a clinical breast examination performed by a specialist. The mammogram test is performed by a technician who has had training in conducting the procedure. The test uses X-rays to look at the tissues of the breast, one breast at a time, using two views of each breast. The technician only exposes the area to be tested (one breast at a time) and only a long as necessary. The technicians work rapidly and carefully to minimize any discomfort that is felt during the test.
A physician or radiologist, reads the mammogram and provides the results to your doctor. The radiologist may contact you to have a repeat test if there is a question about anything that is seen on the mammogram. Sometimes the radiologist will conduct another test that is called an ultrasound to take another type of look at an area of possible concern that was identified on the
mammogram. This test uses sound waves and bounces them off the tissues of the breast. The sound waves are used to create a high quality picture of the area that the radiologist wants to examine further.
Based on the results of these tests, your doctor may or may not request a biopsy as a procedure to take a sample of the breast mass cells or tissue that were found on the mammogram or ultrasound test and remain a concern. After the sample is removed from the breast it is taken to a laboratory. A laboratory pathologist –a doctor who specializes in diagnosing abnormal tissue changes –reviews a sample using a microscope. They look for abnormal cell shapes or growth patterns. Thankfully, nearly 80% of suspicious lumps that are tested turn out to be harmless. When cancer is present, the pathologist determines the type of cancer and whether it has spread beyond the ducts or lobules of your breast. If it has spread this is an invasive or more serious type of cancer.
The diagnosis of breast cancer and creation of a treatment plan for each individual is generally accomplished by a team of experts who work together with the woman involved. Each woman needs to evaluate the advantages and limitations of each type of treatment, and work with what will often be a team of physicians to develop the best and most effective approach to treatment and survival.
• Any lump or thickening in your breast or armpit.
• Any scaly, thickened or inward-turning nipple.
• Any discharge from your nipple.
• Dimpled or reddened skin or sores on your breast.
• Strange veins in any irregular pattern on your breast.
• Breast pain.
Mark your calendar at the same time every month with the initials “BSE” for Breast Self-Exam and support each other in ensuring that a breast exam is done according to the information in the handout that will be given to you at the end of this program. Notify your doctor as soon as possible if you notice any abnormalities.
The monthly self-exam is not the same as that performed by your doctor. The doctor or a trained nurse takes a careful personal and family history, and then performs a clinical breast examination. This examination uses touch to specific areas of the breast and underarm areas to detect any abnormalities or changes.
A mammogram is another type of exam. Mammography is the best way to detect breast cancer in its earliest, most treatable stage. Surprisingly, mammography can detect a tumor on average one to three years before a woman can feel the lump in her breast. Mammography also can locate cancers that are too small to be felt during a clinical breast examination performed by a specialist. The mammogram test is performed by a technician who has had training in conducting the procedure. The test uses X-rays to look at the tissues of the breast, one breast at a time, using two views of each breast. The technician only exposes the area to be tested (one breast at a time) and only a long as necessary. The technicians work rapidly and carefully to minimize any discomfort that is felt during the test.
A physician or radiologist, reads the mammogram and provides the results to your doctor. The radiologist may contact you to have a repeat test if there is a question about anything that is seen on the mammogram. Sometimes the radiologist will conduct another test that is called an ultrasound to take another type of look at an area of possible concern that was identified on the
mammogram. This test uses sound waves and bounces them off the tissues of the breast. The sound waves are used to create a high quality picture of the area that the radiologist wants to examine further.
Based on the results of these tests, your doctor may or may not request a biopsy as a procedure to take a sample of the breast mass cells or tissue that were found on the mammogram or ultrasound test and remain a concern. After the sample is removed from the breast it is taken to a laboratory. A laboratory pathologist –a doctor who specializes in diagnosing abnormal tissue changes –reviews a sample using a microscope. They look for abnormal cell shapes or growth patterns. Thankfully, nearly 80% of suspicious lumps that are tested turn out to be harmless. When cancer is present, the pathologist determines the type of cancer and whether it has spread beyond the ducts or lobules of your breast. If it has spread this is an invasive or more serious type of cancer.
The diagnosis of breast cancer and creation of a treatment plan for each individual is generally accomplished by a team of experts who work together with the woman involved. Each woman needs to evaluate the advantages and limitations of each type of treatment, and work with what will often be a team of physicians to develop the best and most effective approach to treatment and survival.
What are the Warning Signs?
The American Cancer Society presents the following warning signs of
breast cancer:
• A lump or thickening in or near the breast or in the underarm that persists through the menstrual cycle or lasts one month in non-menstruating women.
• A mass or lump which may feel as small as a pea.
• A change in the size, shape or contour of the breast.
• A blood-stained or clear fluid discharge from the nipple.
• A change in the feel or appearance of the skin on the breast or nipple; it could be dimpled, puckered, scaly or inflamed.
• Redness of the skin on the breast or nipple.
• An area appears distinctly different from any other area on either breast.
• A marble-like hardened area under the skin.
breast cancer:
• A lump or thickening in or near the breast or in the underarm that persists through the menstrual cycle or lasts one month in non-menstruating women.
• A mass or lump which may feel as small as a pea.
• A change in the size, shape or contour of the breast.
• A blood-stained or clear fluid discharge from the nipple.
• A change in the feel or appearance of the skin on the breast or nipple; it could be dimpled, puckered, scaly or inflamed.
• Redness of the skin on the breast or nipple.
• An area appears distinctly different from any other area on either breast.
• A marble-like hardened area under the skin.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
What is Your Individual Risk?
All women should talk with their physicians about their individual risk for developing breast cancer. For those of you with daughter or granddaughters, this conversation should occur early in life—in their twenties. As we age we should update our health histories, especially if a mother or sister develops breast cancer, or if you have any risk factors for breast cancer from the list in the last posting. A current medical history helps your physician to tell how often you should be screened for breast cancer. The guidelines that are listed in the following, What Can I do to Reduce My Risk section are for women determined by their physician as at average risk. Women who are at high risk may receive different guidelines from their doctors.
Who is at Risk for Getting Breast Cancer?
Scientists still do not know what causes breast cancer, but we do know that certain factors may put a woman at higher risk of developing it. A risk factor is anything that increases a person’s chance of getting a disease. Different cancers have different risk factors. Having a cancer risk factor or even several of them does not necessarily mean that you will get cancer. Some women with one or more breast cancer risk factor never develop it. However, every woman is at some risk for breast cancer as simply being a woman and growing older puts us at risk for this disease. As of age 40, the incidence of breast cancer increases as we age, and continues to increase over our lifetime.
Other factors that can increase a woman’s risk include:
• Personal history of breast cancer - if a woman has had cancer in one
breast; she is at increased risk for developing it in the other breast.
• Family history - a woman is at increased risk if her mother, sister, or
daughter has had the disease.
• Cellular irregularities - if a woman has certain changes in her cells which are called atypical hyperplasia or lobular carcinoma in situ, she is at increased risk; your doctor can help you determine if you have this irregularity.
• Genetics - the presence of certain inherited genes called BRCA1 and BRCA2 indicate a woman’s predisposition to develop breast cancer. Tests are now available to determine the presence of these genes.
• Women who began menstruation at an early age - under 12 years old--had children later in life- after age 30 - or not at all or experienced late on-set menopause - after age 55 - may be at increased risk
• Weight: women who are overweight - carrying their weight particularly in the waist area - are at higher risk, particularly after menopause.
• Familial Groups - female descendants of Eastern and Central European Jews (also known as Ashkenazi Jews) are at increased risk for breast cancer.
• Alcohol - Use of alcohol is linked to increased risk of developing breast cancer. Compared with non-drinkers, women who consume one alcoholic drink a day have a very small increase in risk; however, those who have 2 to 5 drinks per day have about a 1.5 times the risk for the disease as that of women who drink no alcohol.
• Race - Caucasian women are at a slightly higher risk of developing breast cancer than are African-American, Asian, Hispanic or Native American women.
• Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) - long term use of certain female hormones increases the risk of breast cancer. If you have taken such therapy, discuss your risk factors with your physician.
Other factors that can increase a woman’s risk include:
• Personal history of breast cancer - if a woman has had cancer in one
breast; she is at increased risk for developing it in the other breast.
• Family history - a woman is at increased risk if her mother, sister, or
daughter has had the disease.
• Cellular irregularities - if a woman has certain changes in her cells which are called atypical hyperplasia or lobular carcinoma in situ, she is at increased risk; your doctor can help you determine if you have this irregularity.
• Genetics - the presence of certain inherited genes called BRCA1 and BRCA2 indicate a woman’s predisposition to develop breast cancer. Tests are now available to determine the presence of these genes.
• Women who began menstruation at an early age - under 12 years old--had children later in life- after age 30 - or not at all or experienced late on-set menopause - after age 55 - may be at increased risk
• Weight: women who are overweight - carrying their weight particularly in the waist area - are at higher risk, particularly after menopause.
• Familial Groups - female descendants of Eastern and Central European Jews (also known as Ashkenazi Jews) are at increased risk for breast cancer.
• Alcohol - Use of alcohol is linked to increased risk of developing breast cancer. Compared with non-drinkers, women who consume one alcoholic drink a day have a very small increase in risk; however, those who have 2 to 5 drinks per day have about a 1.5 times the risk for the disease as that of women who drink no alcohol.
• Race - Caucasian women are at a slightly higher risk of developing breast cancer than are African-American, Asian, Hispanic or Native American women.
• Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) - long term use of certain female hormones increases the risk of breast cancer. If you have taken such therapy, discuss your risk factors with your physician.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Chances are everyone has been touched during our lives by someone who has had breast cancer. Perhaps it was a mother, sister, aunt, a close friend or yourself. While signing the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP) Reauthorization Act, President Bush addressed how breast cancer has touched his life. Jenna Welch, Laura Bush’s mother was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 78. Her disease was diagnosed early, and she received effective treatment and now, she is cancer-free.
Breast cancer is a disease that forms in the tissues of the breast, usually in the ducts or tubes that carry milk to the nipple, and in the lobules or glands that make the milk. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths for American women. Over the past 50 years, the number of women diagnosed with breast cancer has increased each year which is likely due to better public education about the disease and better as well as earlier detection.
Today the statistics are that 1 in nearly 8 women will develop breast cancer in her lifetime, or 12.3% of US women in their lifetime. This year an estimated 180,000 Americans will be diagnosed with breast cancer. Although rare, an estimated 1,500 mean will be part of that number. Our focus today will be on breast cancer in women.
Effective breast cancer testing procedures such as the mammogram diagnose breast cancer before it has a chance to spread to other areas of the body. Such early detection also allows early intervention and is the best way to increase the chance of survival. Early detection also makes treatment more effective. Most breast cancer in the early stages can be effectively treated with surgery that preserves the breast. According to the American Cancer Society, 63% of breast cancers are now discovered at an early stage, before the cancer has spread to other organs or body tissues. The five-year survival rate following treatment for early stage breast cancer is 96%. The American Cancer Society also states that the mortality rate from this disease could decrease by 30% if all women age 50 and older who had a mammogram annually or as often as recommended by their physician.
Particularly vulnerable groups are women who immigrated to the U.S. within the past 10 years as they often under-use breast cancer screening tests. If you are a woman who falls into the category or you know such a woman, we will give the information on a program that will assist you to get the testing you need.
Breast cancer is a disease that forms in the tissues of the breast, usually in the ducts or tubes that carry milk to the nipple, and in the lobules or glands that make the milk. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths for American women. Over the past 50 years, the number of women diagnosed with breast cancer has increased each year which is likely due to better public education about the disease and better as well as earlier detection.
Today the statistics are that 1 in nearly 8 women will develop breast cancer in her lifetime, or 12.3% of US women in their lifetime. This year an estimated 180,000 Americans will be diagnosed with breast cancer. Although rare, an estimated 1,500 mean will be part of that number. Our focus today will be on breast cancer in women.
Effective breast cancer testing procedures such as the mammogram diagnose breast cancer before it has a chance to spread to other areas of the body. Such early detection also allows early intervention and is the best way to increase the chance of survival. Early detection also makes treatment more effective. Most breast cancer in the early stages can be effectively treated with surgery that preserves the breast. According to the American Cancer Society, 63% of breast cancers are now discovered at an early stage, before the cancer has spread to other organs or body tissues. The five-year survival rate following treatment for early stage breast cancer is 96%. The American Cancer Society also states that the mortality rate from this disease could decrease by 30% if all women age 50 and older who had a mammogram annually or as often as recommended by their physician.
Particularly vulnerable groups are women who immigrated to the U.S. within the past 10 years as they often under-use breast cancer screening tests. If you are a woman who falls into the category or you know such a woman, we will give the information on a program that will assist you to get the testing you need.
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