BCA E-Alert May 2007

Hello! It's time for another installment of Breast Cancer Action's monthly e-alert-- a collection of news, notices, and action alerts for people concerned about the breast cancer epidemic. Welcome to any new e-alert members!

SPREAD THE WORD - if you like this e-alert, please help us by sharing it with your friends and family. Forward this message and let them know that they can subscribe at http://www.bcaction.org/ealert

WE PUBLISH A SNAIL MAIL NEWSLETTER TOO - We just can't get enough of you ...and hope that you can't get enough of us! If you're not already on our mailing list we'd love to send you our bimonthly newsletter, the BCA Source, filled with information on treatment, diagnosis, politics, and true prevention updates. Check out the archives and subscribe online at http://www.bcaction.org/newsletter

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In this issue...

1. NEW AT BCA: New Look for BCA E-Alert
2. IN THE NEWS: Decline in Breast Cancer Continues in 2004; Accuracy of Computer-Aided Detection Questioned; Screening Recommendations Challenged
3. TAKE ACTION: Tell the FDA to Keep Hormone-Free Labels for Milk; Join the Target PVC Day of Action on May 24th
4. SAVE THE DATE: ASCO Annual Meeting, June 1-5, Chicago, IL
5. FAQ OF THE MONTH: What is computer-aided detection?

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1. NEW AT BCA: New Look for BCA E-Alert

New Look for BCA E-Alert

The look of the BCA e-alert will be changing slightly as we make the switch to a new message-sending service. The informational content of the e-alert will be the same, but we expect the functionality to improve with the change. However, if you experience any bumps in the road due to the switch in service, please let us know so we can address them. The first e-alert using the new service will come out in early July. Please send an e-mail to pojea [at] bcaction.org if you are experiencing any difficulty with the new e-alert.

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2. IN THE NEWS: Decline in Breast Cancer Continues in 2004; Accuracy of Computer-Aided Detection Questioned; Screening Recommendations Challenged

Decline in Breast Cancer Continues in 2004

The big news from the 2006 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium was the report that breast cancer rates dropped 7% between 2002 and 2003. A new study published in the April 19, 2007 edition of the New England Journal of Medicine showed that, although the decline began to level off in the following year, the lower rate continued in 2004. The decline in breast cancer rates was only seen in women 50 years old or older, and was more evident in estrogen receptor-positive breast cancers than in estrogen receptor-negative cancers. The authors state that the most likely reason for the decline is the substantial drop in the use of combination hormone replacement therapy (estrogen and progestin) following reports from the Women’s Health Initiative in 2002. To read the study, visit http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/356/16/1670

To read more about the drop in breast cancer incidence as reported at the 2006 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, visit http://www.bcaction.org/Pages/SearchablePages/ConferenceCoverage/SanAntonio20061JZ.html


Accuracy of Computer-Aided Detection Questioned

A study in the April 5, 2007 edition of the New England Journal of Medicine investigated the effectiveness of computer-aided detection (CAD) in helping radiologists to interpret screening mammograms. The study found that CAD actually reduced the accuracy of mammographic interpretation, leading to more recalls, higher false positive rates, and increased biopsy rates. After investigating seven facilities that implemented CAD during the study period, the researchers found that the positive predictive value (proportion of patients with positive test results that are correctly diagnosed) decreased from 4.1% to 3.2% and the rate of biopsy increased by 19.7% with the use of CAD. Additionally, CAD was more strongly associated with the detection of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) than invasive breast cancer. The researchers note that larger studies are needed to determine whether the benefits of CAD outweigh the potential harms. To read the study, visit http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/abstract/356/14/1399


Screening Recommendations Challenged

In a study that appeared in the April 3, 2007 edition of the Annals of Internal Medicine, the American College of Physicians challenged the recommendation that all 40 to 49 year old women be screened annually for breast cancer. Instead, the prominent physicians' group issued guidelines for clinicians to tailor screening recommendations to the individual woman on the basis of her risk of developing the disease and her concerns about mammography. The guidelines were drafted after conducting a systematic literature review of the benefits and risks of screening in this population. The authors found that the benefit of screening is early detection of breast cancer, but the risks include false positive results, over-diagnosis, radiation exposure, false reassurances, and procedure-associated pain. Finally, the authors conclude that clinicians should inform women of these benefits and risks so they can make informed decisions about screening mammography. To read the study, visit http://www.annals.org/cgi/content/full/146/7/511

BCA has for years been recommending that women be fully informed of the benefits and drawbacks of any medical intervention, including mammography. To read our policy on Breast Cancer Screening and "Early Detection," visit http://www.bcaction.org/Pages/LearnAboutUs/BreastCancerScreening.html

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3. TAKE ACTION: Tell the FDA to Keep Hormone-Free Labels for Milk; Join the Target PVC Day of Action on May 24th

Tell the FDA to Keep Hormone-Free Labels for Milk

Several large dairy producers and food companies have made news recently by getting rid of recombinant bovine growth hormone, also known as rBGH or rBST, from their milk supply. Typically, companies that are rBGH-free label their product so consumers will know that the dairy did not come from cows injected with the artificial hormone. Now Monsanto, the company that makes the artificial growth hormone, wants to keep companies from being able to label their product hormone-free. Seeing their profits slip away due to consumer demand for hormone-free dairy, the company has asked the Food and Drug Administration to restrict the use of labels identifying “rBGH-free” or “rBST-free” dairy products.

If Monsanto succeeds in convincing the FDA to restrict rBGH-free labeling, consumers will lose valuable information about how their food is produced. Write to the FDA and tell them that consumers have a right to know! Take action at http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/fwwatch/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=11211

To read a Chicago Tribune article about Monsanto's request to the FDA, visit http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-070415monsanto-story,0,7410348.story?coll=chi-bizfront-hed

To learn more about rBGH, visit http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/food/dairy/bovine-growth-hormone/rbgh-fact-sheet

To find dairy producers that are rBGH-free in your state, visit http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/food/dairy/rbgh-free-guide


Join the Target PVC Day of Action on May 24th

On May 24th, join the Center for Health, Environment and Justice and groups from around the country fighting for safe and healthy communities at a National PVC Day of Action to urge retail giant Target to phase out PVC, the poison plastic.

Unfortunately, Target lags behind other major retailers in phasing out this unnecessary and dangerous plastic. From production in poor Louisiana communities to disposal in landfills and incinerators, PVC plastic releases poisonous chemicals that can cause cancer and birth defects. The good news is that safer alternatives are available, and many retailers are already doing the right thing by phasing PVC out of their products.

Help keep the pressure on Target by attending or hosting an action event in your community. The May 24th day of action will take place in conjunction with Target's annual shareholder meeting, and will feature the release of a national "report card" grading Target on their PVC products and packaging.

Take action by signing up for an event at http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/CHEJ/signUp.jsp?key=2140&t=PVCsignup.dwt

Learn more about PVC at http://www.besafenet.com/pvc/about.htm

Learn why this campaign focuses on Target at http://www.besafenet.com/pvc/target_factsheet.htm

Find companies that have pledged to phase out PVC at http://www.besafenet.com/pvc/companypolicies.htm

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4. SAVE THE DATE: ASCO Annual Meeting, June 1-5, Chicago, IL

ASCO Annual Meeting, June 1-5, Chicago, IL

The 43rd annual American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting will take place in Chicago from June 1-5th. The ASCO meeting is a medical conference for patients, advocates, researchers and physicians to come together and learn about the latest research in oncology. For more information and to register, visit http://www.asco.org

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5. FAQ OF THE MONTH: What is computer-aided detection?

Computer-aided detection (CAD) is a method of reading the images produced from a mammogram. When a mammogram is performed, a film of the image taken is produced and a radiologist will review it to look for suspicious masses. CAD provides an additional method to read the image; it acts like another pair of eyes. The film gets scanned into a computer and the CAD software reads it, highlighting areas that look suspicious. Then the radiologist can compare that to his/her own interpretation of the image.

The screening experience for the woman getting the mammogram is the same whether or not CAD is used. The images are taken in the same way as a regular mammogram; it is the process of reading the images that is different.

Unlike digital mammography, which produces an actual digital image of the breast, CAD takes a film image and scans it into a computer. The scanned image used in CAD cannot be further manipulated or magnified, as the digital image used in digital mammography can be. CAD can be used to read the image produced from digital mammography.

The April 5, 2007 study in the New England Journal of Medicine found reading images using CAD was less accurate than reading images without the use of a computer. Images read with CAD found more lesions and required women to get additional tests and biopsies. The researchers noted that larger studies will need to be conducted in order to determine whether or not the benefits of CAD outweigh the potential harms.

As with any screening method, BCA recommends that women be fully informed of the benefits and drawbacks of getting their mammograms read with CAD.

To learn more about CAD and the results of the study, visit the National Cancer Institute's Questions and Answers page at
http://www.cancer.gov/newscenter/pressreleases/CADmammographyQandA

To learn more about the recent CAD study, visit http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/abstract/356/14/1399

To read BCA's Policy on Breast Cancer Screening and "Early Detection," visit
http://www.bcaction.org/Pages/LearnAboutUs/BreastCancerScreening.html


-- YOUR INPUT WANTED: Is there a question you want answered, or an issue that you want BCA's opinion on? Send it to pojea [at] bcaction.org and we'll try to answer it personally or feature it in a future e-alert!

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That's it for this edition! Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or comments about this e-alert.

Thanks for your continued support of BCA. Until next time,

Pauli Ojea, Community Organizer
Toll free at 877-2STOPBC (278-6722)
http://www.bcaction.org
http://www.thinkbeforeyoupink.org

Our members are the driving force behind our efforts to end the breast
cancer epidemic. Because Breast Cancer Action does not accept funding from
the government or the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries, we need
your support. You can donate online at
http://bcaction.org/Pages/SupportUs/Donate.html, or call 415-243-9301, or
toll-free at 1-877-278-6722. All gifts are deeply appreciated.


Breast Cancer Action is funded in part by a grant from the California Wellness Foundation (TCWF). Created in 1992 as an independent, private foundation, TCWF's mission is to improve the health of the people of California by making grants for health promotion, wellness education and disease prevention programs.