MRIs For Women With Dense Breast Tissue Caught More Cancer But Also Resulted In A Lot Of False Alarms
About half of women over 40 have dense breasts and about 10% have very dense ones. That raises their risk of developing cancer and makes it harder to spot on mammograms if they do. But, like in other sectors of health care, the dilemma remains about whether the extra screening is worth the false alarms it brings. In other women's health news: postpartum care, depression, asthma during pregnancy, and violence against girls.
The Associated Press:
MRIs Of Dense Breasts Find More Cancer But Also False Alarms
Giving women with very dense breasts an MRI scan in addition to a mammogram led to fewer missed cancers but also to a lot of false alarms and treatments that might not have been needed, a large study found. The results give a clearer picture of the tradeoffs involved in such testing, but they can't answer the biggest question — whether it saves lives. (11/27)
The New York Times:
M.R.I.S Can Better Detect Cancer In Women With Dense Breasts, Study Finds
Now, a new study provides strong evidence that supplemental M.R.I.s are more effective in finding tumors in these women than mammograms alone. The study, of more than 40,000 women with extremely dense breasts in the Netherlands, found that those who had mammograms followed by M.R.I.s, had more tumors detected than with mammography alone. The research also found that those who had M.R.I.s were less likely to find a palpable cancerous lump in between routine screenings; by the time tumors are big enough to be felt, they tend to be more advanced. (Rabin, 11/27)
NPR:
Black Mothers Get Less Treatment For Their Postpartum Depression
Portia Smith's most vivid memories of her daughter's first year are of tears. Not the baby's. Her own. "I would just hold her and cry all day," Smith recalls. At 18, Smith was caring for two children, 4-year-old Kelaiah and newborn Nelly, with little help from her abusive relationship. The circumstances were difficult, but she knew the tears were more than that. (Feldman and Pattani, 11/29)
The New York Times:
Asthma Control Is Critical During Pregnancy
Pregnant women with asthma should take special care to keep their asthma in check. Canadian researchers have found that asthma attacks during pregnancy are associated with a number of serious health problems for both mother and child. The observational study, in The European Respiratory Journal, used data on 103,424 pregnancies in women with asthma. (Bakalar, 11/27)
The Washington Post:
After Miscarriage, I Was Rocked By Depression. Like Many Other Women, I Didn’t Get Follow-Up Care For This Loss.
The memory of our motionless baby boy on the ultrasound screen awakened me in the middle of the night. I squeezed my eyes shut repeatedly, but I couldn’t escape the image. My body ached, my heart raced and tears streamed down my face until they led to uncontrollable sobs, eventually waking my husband. I cried until morning. That was the first night after I miscarried at 12 weeks pregnant. Those early morning flashbacks lasted for weeks. (Reilly, 11/30)
The Washington Post:
To Tackle Violence Against Women And Girls, U.N. Health Agency Pushes RESPECT Program
About 1 in 3 women has experienced violence during her lifetime, according to the World Health Organization — an epidemic that is truly worldwide. In the days leading up to Human Rights Day on Dec. 10, the United Nations health agency wants to spread awareness to prevent violence against women and girls. (Blakemore, 11/30)
