Women of WISDOM don't let their friends stay confused!
Going from red to pink in 30 seconds and a call to put my money where my
mouth is!
I was sitting on the couch just last week when a sensitive
issue on women’s health came up:
Research was showing that breast
cancer survivors had a higher risk for heart disease.
Great... Just
GREAT!
I was immediately reminded of the struggles I had to go
through to make sure I got the preventive care I needed after my
diagnosis. Because of the type of
insurance coverage, I depended on ‘official’ published guidelines. That meant that if I wanted additional
screening, I had to either wait because of these suggested “guidelines”, or pay
out of pocket to get a mammogram for my peace of mind (which doesn’t come
cheap!). What if I have a history of breast cancer in my
family?
I don’t. And yet I still was diagnosed with it.
Much has been said about screening for prevention; however
one can also ascertain that inappropriate or unnecessary screenings lead to excessive
treatment options. Was I just a number
in the statistic of women under 50 who get diagnosed with carcinoma in-situ? Did
I really need the surgery, radiation and medication? More importantly, which is
the right guideline to follow? Is screening for prevention doing more harm than
good?
Aren’t we supposed to be on the road to “personalized
medicine”?
Around the same time, Dr. Andrea LaCroix had talked about
UCSD’s WISDOM study, seeking to answer the questions that surround the
controversy on screening for breast cancer as its main objective. In an article published on the UC
San Diego Health website, she comments: “Screening guidelines for breast
cancer have changed many times over recent years and seem to be in a constant
state of flux. The WISDOM trial’s goal is to test annual screening versus a
personalized schedule based on a woman’s clinical and genetic risk factors for
breast cancer. The study should determine which strategy produces the most
benefit for women and the least harm.” Dr. La Croix is Professor and Chief of Epidemiology
in the Department of Family Medicine and Public Health at the University of
California San Diego School of Medicine and co-principal investigator of the
study.
Tracy Layton, Program Manager for the Wisdom Study at UC San
Diego Moores Cancer Center, explained
that the WISDOM study (Women Informed to Screen Depending
On Measures of risk)
aims to clarify breast cancer screening guidelines regarding frequency and age
at which women should receive their screening mammograms. “There are many different guidelines by different
organizations, and this adds a lot of confusion for women regarding their own
health. The trial is comparing yearly screening to a personalized
screening approach. The personalized screening will provide a mammogram
timeline based on participant’s individual risk factors (age, personal and
family history, genetic tests for genes (mutations and variations) linked to
the development of breast cancer). We currently have consented over 3,000 women locally (over
8,800 program-wide), but still need many more. Eligibility is quite
open: female, age 40-74, no history of breast cancer or ductal carcinoma in
situ, receives health care in California or at Sanford Health.”
Sure enough! I
googled “Breast Cancer Screening Guidelines” and was appalled at the difference
in information that came up on the CDC’s website. Take
a look for yourself.
Isn’t it
time we set the record straight for our sakes?
Your participation in this study will help women get the preventive
care they REALLY need: accurately screening for prevention and avoiding the
misdiagnosis that might ultimately lead to the uncertainties of dealing with
breast cancer: unnecessary surgery, treatment, medication and the cost of all
of it! If I could, I would put my money
where my mouth is... preferably with pink lipstick!
An explanation of the study can be seen below. You can also download more information here.
So if you haven’t had your mammogram this year, would you? If you’ve already had your mammogram, or plan
to, share your data with the Wisdom study.
Here’s how:
- Please visit www.wisdomstudy.org for more information.
- Join the study!
- Contact UCSD’s Clinical Coordinator, Vedeline Torreon for any additional questions you might have.
- Share, Share, SHARE!
And this, is what women’s health research is all about! Six minutes CAN save your life!
###
About the Doris A. Howell Foundation:
The Doris A. Howell Foundation for Women’s Health Research is dedicated to making a long term, significant impact on women’s health with the goal of “Keeping the Women we Love Healthy.” It is the premier organization in San Diego focused exclusively on advancing women’s health through research and education. We prepare young scientists for a career in women’s health research through research scholarships, fund studies specific to “at-risk” and underserved women, and educate the public on the latest research in women's health.
###
Summary prepared by Carolyn Northrup for the Doris Howell Foundation with information from the following sources:
###
About the Doris A. Howell Foundation:
The Doris A. Howell Foundation for Women’s Health Research is dedicated to making a long term, significant impact on women’s health with the goal of “Keeping the Women we Love Healthy.” It is the premier organization in San Diego focused exclusively on advancing women’s health through research and education. We prepare young scientists for a career in women’s health research through research scholarships, fund studies specific to “at-risk” and underserved women, and educate the public on the latest research in women's health.
###
Summary prepared by Carolyn Northrup for the Doris Howell Foundation with information from the following sources:
- https://health.ucsd.edu/news/features/Pages/2018-01-03-six-minutes-can-save-your-life-contribute-to-science.aspx
- https://wisdom.secure.force.com/portal/WsdSiteHome
- https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/02/180201085812.htm
- https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/pdf/breastcancerscreeningguidelines.pdf
Comments
Post a Comment