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“Early” is the key word Memorial Hermann Greater Heights For The Leader
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Early detection. Good advice to a bluebird looking for breakfast. Critical for someone who could develop breast cancer. Early detection catches cancer — before it grows, before it spreads, before it becomes lifethreatening. Other than skin cancer, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among American women. In 2017, about 30 percent of newly diagnosed cancers in women were breast cancers, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS). (Although breast cancer can occur in men, ACS data shows that it is 100 times more common in women.) Dr. Ajanta Patra, a diagnostic radiologist who specializes in breast radiology, and surgeon Dr. Ronnie Adams – both affiliated with Memorial Hermann Greater Heights – agree that early detection is the key to less extensive treatment and Photo supplied more positive outcomes. “I can’t overemphasize the fact American Cancer Society estimates that 1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer. This also means that 7 in 8 women will that mammograms save lives,” never have the disease. However, since the most positive outcomes come from catching the cancer early, all women above says Dr. Patra. “They can detect age 40 are encouraged to have an annual mammogram. small masses before you feel anything. By the time you can feel it, mends that women start annual breast cancer, Memorial Hermann side. In some cases, chemotherascreenings at age 40. Patients who Greater Heights utilizes a team py is used to shrink the lesion beit’s a decent-sized lesion.” Although “mammogram” is a schedule mammograms can re- approach. Three physicians who fore surgery. The choice is based common umbrella term for radio- quest a 3D tomosynthesis, which, have primary patient contact – the on several inter-related factors, logical screening, there are actu- according to Dr. Patra, takes only surgeon, oncologist and radiation including the patient’s risk factors ally two types. A standard mam- a minute or two longer than a tra- oncologist – are supported by a and the size of the lesion, but almogram produces 2-dimensional ditional mammogram. Most insur- pathologist, radiologist and other ways, according to Dr. Adams, images. Tomosynthesis (also called ance plans, including Medicare, members of the breast cancer offering “the smallest amount of 3D mammography) takes multiple now cover the enhanced screening team, including a nurse navigator. surgery possible without comproDr. Adams says the team focuses mising long-term effectiveness.” pictures from different angles and procedure. The key to long-term effectiveIf the result of an initial mamon taking care of the “whole paconstructs them into a 3-dimensional image that, according to Dr. mogram or tomosynthesis war- tient” – not only the medicine in- ness and the most positive outPatra, reveals even smaller lesions. rants further study, the next step volved, but also answering ques- comes is to catch cancer quickly. Tomosynthesis also reduces the in- is more extensive diagnostic exam tions and making sure nothing falls And that starts with a yearly cidence of “false positives,” a fac- by mammogram, tomosynthesis through the cracks in the detailed screening. tor that can save time and reduce or ultrasound. Afterward, if neces- process of cancer treatment. sary, comes a needle biopsy, which The two main treatment options worry for patients. Schedule a mammogram at detects the presence (or absence) for breast cancer remain lumpecAlthough the risk for breast canwww.memorialhermann.org/ cer increases with age, the Ameri- of cancerous cells within the le- tomy, which removes the lesion, schedulenow. and total mastectomy, which recan College of Radiology recom- sion. For patients diagnosed with moves all the tissue on the affected
Is social media a true downer? By Betsy Denson betsy@theleadernews.com Is social media getting you down? For many in our polarized country, the answer is #youbet. The granddaddy of social interaction – Facebook – has even recently had to defend itself from the claims of former employees like Chamath Palihapitiya, who told a group of Stanford business students last November that “we have created tools that are ripping apart the social fabric of how society works.” Not surprisingly, current Facebook executives disagree. BBC Technology details a blog post by Facebook’s director of research, David Ginsberg, who said there was a continuing internal debate at the company about whether time spent on social media was good for people. Ginsberg said there had been “compelling research” that linked depression in teenagers to more time spent on social media. But he also said that there were demonstrated benefits showing social-media use could boost peoples’ moods and help maintain needed social ties. What made the difference, he said, was how people used Facebook. “Just like in person, interacting with people you care about can be beneficial, while simply watching others from the sidelines may make you feel worse,” wrote Ginsberg. So is it just a big case of user error? “I think the thing about Facebook wars and political posts in general is that Facebook thrives on outrage,” said Michael Juge. “Outrage is a commodity in 2018. We go on there to look for stimulation. Back in the day, seeing an email from a friend or seeing the weather online was enough to satiate us. But over the years, we have become desensitized
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Photo supplied While there has been compelling research that links depression in teenagers to more time spent on social media, there is also increasing data about adult use.
to that. We needed something more visceral. Outrage fills that hole. So people post politically charged stuff to get likes and even to get in Facebook wars.” “If you look on Facebook, you start to think that everyone hates each other,” notes Stella Stevens. “That we live in two different counties where one side and the other will simply never agree.” In a BBC Future story last January called ‘Is Social Media Bad for You?’ there were some interesting
statistics – and the caveat that since social media is relatively new, it’s hard to know anything definitive yet. • Stress In 2015, researchers at the Pew Research Center based in Washington DC wanted to know if social media induces more stress than it relieves. In the survey of 1,800 people, women reported being more stressed than men. Twitter was found to be a “significant contributor” because it increased their awareness of other people’s stress.
Interestingly though, Twitter also acted as a coping mechanism – and the more women used it, the less stressed they were. The same wasn’t true for men, who had a more distant relationship with social media. Overall, researchers concluded that social media use was linked to “modestly lower levels” of stress. • Mood A good or bad mood may also spread between people on social media, according to researchers from the University of California, who looked at the emotional content of over a billion status updates from more than 100 million Facebook users between 2009 and 2012. Bad weather increased the number of negative posts by 1%, and the researchers found that one negative post by someone in a rainy city influenced another 1.3 negative posts by friends living in dry cities. The better news is that happy posts had a stronger influence; each one inspired 1.75 more happy posts. Whether a happy post translates to a genuine boost in mood, however, remains unclear. • Anxiety Researchers have looked at general anxiety provoked by social media, characterized by feelings of restlessness and worry, and trouble sleeping and concentrating. A study published in the journal Computers and Human Behaviour found that people who report using seven or more social media platforms were more than three times as likely as people using 0-2 platforms to have high levels of general anxiety symptoms. Perhaps part of our problem is, well, us. “I believe we have not evolved to humanize the other on the other end of a terminal the way we humanize See Social blues P. 2B
chiropractic care
Northwest ChiropraCtiC George G. Junkin, D.C. D.A.C.B.N. Nutritionist 11500 NW Frwy - Suite 201 Houston, Texas 77092 Tel: 713-686-0828 www.drjunkin.com
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Ana M. Torres, M.D. , P.A. 713.863.9200 427 W. 20th St. Ste #503 Houston, TX 77008 www.Thetorrescenter.com
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Dora Cantú, M.D. 713.864.8652 1740 W. 27th St. Suite 180 Houston, TX 77008 www.opiavisioncenter.com
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Dr. Stephanie Fulton Stephanie Fulton, M.D.
1740 W. 27 St. Suite 301 Houston, TX 77008 713-880-2727 www.fultonobgyn.com
Major Hospitals
Memorial Hermann Greater Heights 1635 North Loop West Houston, Texas 77008 Tel: 713-867-2000 memorialhermann.org Physician Referral 713.222.CARE
St. Joseph Medical Center in The Heights 1917 Ashland Street Houston, Texas 77008 Tel: 713-757-1000 Physician Referral 713-757-7575