Mammogram, not biopsy, for breast lesions

SEATTLE (UPI) -- U.S. researchers say a woman with benign-looking breast lesions should not get not a biopsy but a follow-up mammogram.

In a study published in American Journal of Roentgenology, researchers said six-month short-interval follow-up diagnostic mammogram had an 83 percent sensitivity rating -- meaning a relatively high proportion of true cancers were being identified, with a low proportion of cases mistakenly deemed benign.

"Because the probability of cancer is so low, we don't want to put the patient through an unnecessary biopsy, which is an invasive procedure that increases both patient anxiety and medical costs," study lead author Erin J. Aiello Bowles of the Group Health Center for Health Studies in Seattle said in a statement.

The study included 45,007 initial short-interval follow-up mammograms. In the study, 360 women with "probably benign" lesions were diagnosed with breast cancer within six months, and 506 women were diagnosed with cancer within 12 months.

The approximately one out of a 100 probably benign lesions linked to a cancer diagnosis within the year points to a need to monitor these patients, because "we want to detect the cancers as early as possible," Bowles said. After the six-month diagnostic mammograms, follow-ups should continue for the next two to three years "until long-term stability is demonstrated."


Copyright 2008 by United Press International
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trivia for today

When is a dresser not a dresser?

A dresser is a piece of furniture, which is similar to a sideboard, but also has shelves above for storing and displaying crockery. This is not to be confused with a chest of drawers, a piece of furniture which has multiple parallel, horizontal drawers stacked one above each other, which is also known (especially in North American English) as dresser or bureau.

I'm in Vegas!!

pix taken at the front of my sister's work place. I just love the flower garden they got here!! would someone believe that Las Vegas got some flowers and plants too despite being a desert....well a very developed and improved desert!! greta...

have a great Wednesday to all!!

hope to visit all co-bloggers and friends out there!!! thanks to all those who leave comments and messages...really appreciate it!!

Drug may shrink breast cancers

HOUSTON (UPI) -- A drug that targets cell surface receptors may shrink breast cancer tumors in six weeks, a U.S. scientist reports.

Dr. Angel Rodriguez of Baylor College of Medicine in Houston says the drug -- a tyrosine kinase inhibitor known as lapatinib -- could decrease tumor-causing breast cancer stem cells in women receiving treatment given before primary surgery. Rodriguez and colleagues studied 45 patients with locally advanced breast cancer in which the gene HER-2 was over-expressed.

The patients received lapatinib for six weeks, followed by a combination of weekly trastuzumab and thrice-weekly docetaxel, given over 12 weeks, before primary surgery. Biopsies were performed at the time of diagnosis and also after six weeks of lapatinib and cells from the tumors were obtained and analyzed.

"We saw significant tumor regression after six weeks of single-agent lapatinib," Rodriguez said in a statement. "Bi-dimensional tumor measurements showed a median decrease of minus 60.8 percent." The findings are being presented at the sixth European Breast Cancer Conference in Berlin.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International
arcamax.com

Travelling Australia

I always love to travel. If only given all the resources to travel around the world, I would always love to do so. I am presently in Las Vegas flying from Germany. I am staying here for two months.

Next year me and my husband are planning to visit Philippines. While in the Philippines, we also plan to visit some near cities and countries like Sydney, Australia, Singapore and Thailand. Since we don't have any relatives in that place, we need to find a place to stay.

While browsing the net, I found cheaperthanhotels.com.au. They offer serviced apartments which are good value versus hotels. They also offer apartments for big families or groups. The good thing is that, it has also self catering facilities for a very cheaper price compared to hotels.

I would be very happy if I can also visit cities in Australia like Melbourne, Brisbane and , Perth.

Are you planning to travel to Australia too?? Visit and book now at Cheaperthanhotels and find the best deal of your choice for as little as $19!!!

Enjoy your travel!!

SILENT KILLER: Nightmare!!

I got this forwarded email in my inbox from a dear friend .....wish to share and give some infos to all my friends out there....please read!! it might help and prevent it the earliest time!!

SILENT KILLER: What u need to know about NIGHTMARE or BANGUNGOT & some realities Got this information from a US-based pharmacist who is a cousin of a colleague.It seems only MALES are afflicted with this.

We had a co-staff/driver from FAO who died last month from supposedly BANGUNGOT-- leaving a housewife and 3 very young kids.

IMPORTANT: Never go thirsty when going to bed and besure you have plenty of water during your 8-hour rest.Bangungot has killed a male nurse of UERMMH. It is sudden death in adults which cause them to die while sleeping. Many theories have been put forward as its cause. However, here is an article which sheds somelight to the cause of this malady.

Please read on:Article from THE PHILIPPINE STAR: The reported cause of actor Rico Yan's death is nightmare or bangungot. Medical investigators in China , Japan and several Asian countries who performed autopsies on persons who died from "acute hemorrhagic pancreatitis" found out that the majority of them had eaten NOODLES as their supper.

This was a startling finding.However, it wasn't the noodles that caused nightmares but DEHYDRATION. Imbibing even with a few drinks of alcohol or just eating noodles immediately before bedtime compound this on an empty stomach will trigger an electrolyte imbalance and other factors that causes a person to dehydrate or lose water.

It is therefore advisable for a person to take several glasses of water before bedtime if he had a few or several alcoholic drinks. Avoid eating noodles before bedtime, but if you can not avoid it, all ow at least two hours for the body to digest the noodles before hitting the sack and drink plenty of water.The most important thing is, never go thirsty when going to bed and be sure you have plenty of water during your 8-hour rest.

PLEASE PASS TO YOUR FRIENDS!

HAppy Mothers' day!!

I would like to greet all Mothers out there!! Congratulations for being great Mothers...I would especially to thank my Mother!! Thanks a lot for bringing me in this world!! Without you, Mama and Papa, I wouldn't be here!!

I love you very much!! Take care always of yourselves!!!

HAPPY MOTHERS' DAY!!! HAVE A GREAT SUNDAY TOO!!! here is my flower for you!! fresh from my garden in Germany!!