OCTOBER EDITION, VOLUME 2019, NO. 10
-Capital Medical Society Celebrates National Breast Cancer Awareness MonthBREAST CANCER – A HEMATOLOGIST/ONCOLOGIST’S PERSPECTIVE By Tim Broeseker, M.D. Breast cancer remains a common cancer among women and a rare occurrence in men. Fortunately, the majority of patients are now diagnosed with early stage disease and cured with appropriate therapy, with a 10-year survival rate of about 80%. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in women, far surpassed by lung cancer. Guidelines for screening mammography continue to evolve and differ from one professional group to another. For women ages 40 to 49, guidelines vary from recommending yearly mammography to individualizing the decision. For women ages 50 to 74, recommendations for mammography are split between yearly and every 2 years. For women older than 75, most recommend an individualized decision. While there is a role for screening MRI of the breast, the need for this is infrequent.
It may come as a surprise that there is no data to show a clear benefit for routine self-breast exams or exams by a health care professional, particularly in women who are getting routine screening mammograms. Nonetheless, this is a simple, low (or no) cost practice that is still thought to be worth educating and recommending to women. Breast cancer gene testing for BRCA1 and BRCA2 is important for women with breast cancer AND: 1) a strong family history of breast or ovarian cancer; 2) a personal history of triple negative breast cancer diagnosed under age 60; 3) a personal history of bilateral breast cancer; 4) a personal history of ovarian cancer; 5) under the age of 50 at time of diagnosis, plus several other less common scenarios. The presence of a breast cancer gene significantly increases the risk of ovarian cancer as well as breast cancer. Overall, however, only about 5% of all breast cancers are due to the presence of a breast cancer gene. There are other less common genes than BRCA 1 and BRCA 2, however, these do not CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
Capital Medical Society thanks the physicians and dentists in this community who provide care to breast cancer patients. CAPITAL MEDICAL SOCIETY 2019 MEETINGS CALENDAR October 15, 2019 CMS Membership & CME Meeting Prevention of Medical Errors Speakers: Julia Weeks, M.D. and Jesse Suber, Esq. 6:00 pm Maguire Center for Lifelong Learning at Westminster Oaks
November 12, 2019 CMS Membership & CME Meeting Women are from Venus; Men are from Mars: Sexual Dysfunction on both Planets Speakers: Andrea Friall, M.D. and Kenneth DeLay, M.D. 6:00 pm Maguire Center for Lifelong Learning at Westminster Oaks
December 5, 2019 CMS Foundation Holiday Auction 6:00 pm *NEW TIME* FSU University Center Club