|
||||||||||||||||||
|
Vol. 10, No. 1 · February 2006 · Editor: Martha L. Golar, Esq.
“Emerging Trends in Breast Imaging” DATE: February 27, 2006 TIME: 6:30 P.M. PLACE: Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom Four Times Square (between 6th Avenue & Broadway) New York, NY GUEST SPEAKER: Julie Mitnick, M.D. Dr. Mitnick is a NYC radiologist/mammographer and Associate Professor Clinical Radiology at New York University School of Medicine. Dr. Mitnick, together with Deborah Axelrod, MD and Larry Norton, MD, are JALBCA’s Medical Advisors. ANNUAL DINNER – SAVE THE DATE JALBCA’s annual dinner is scheduled for May 15, 2006, at The Water’s Edge, Long Island City, NY MEETING OF THE SURVIVOR’S CIRCLE The Survivor’s Circle is scheduled to meet again on March 28, 2006. To RSVP, please contact Jennifer Fiorentino at 212.289.9720. · October Courthouse Alert -- Statewide Summary Report · NBCCF Annual Advocacy Training Conference · JALBCA November Program · Recent Breast Cancer News · Calendar of Events October Courthouse Alert -- Statewide Summary Report Mammography Vans. The efforts of members of JALBCA and the Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York for the 2005 October Courthouse Alert resulted in nine days, of scheduled mammography vans in courthouses in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Richmond, Queens and New York, including Harlem. Women’s Outreach Network, the organization which provides the vans and the radiologists who perform the mammography services, reported to JALBCA in early December 2005 that their then-current statistics indicated 248 women had been screened. Another 28 were scheduled for the Kings County Supreme Court location later that month. Staten Island Courthouse Alert Activities. Typical of JALBCA’s activity was October Breast Cancer Awareness Month activities in Staten Island, co-chaired by Hon. Barbara Irolla Panepinto, JALBCA co-president, and Karen B. Wolff, Esq., JALBCA Board member. On October 6, 2005, JALBCA, among other organizations, was honored by the Borough President of Staten Island for their fight against breast cancer. On October 7, an annual breakfast was held in the Richmond County Supreme Courthouse to kick off Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The guest speaker was Kathy Williams, a breast cancer survivor, who spoke to the group of judges, attorneys and court staff about her heroic battle with breast cancer. Her talk was not only inspirational, but also motivated the group as to the importance of mammography screening and early intervention. The mammography van was parked outside the courthouse and was booked to capacity with 44 appointments. The mammography van arrived a second time on November 14, 2005. This van was also booked to capacity. In 2004, the Staten Island mammography van diagnosed one woman with in situ breast cancer. The patient was diagnosed early, her care was immediately managed by the Staten Island Breast Health Partnership, and her surgery yielded an excellent result -- all the cancer was removed and the patient is reportedly fine. This year, the Staten Island group once again received news that the courthouse mammography van diagnosed another woman with breast cancer. She had not had a mammography in ten (10) years, and confessed that she would not have had this one, but for the van right in St. George. She was operated on at Memorial Sloan Kettering and two cancer sites were found, both in situ. Reportedly, she is doing well and expects a full recovery. Mary Solomon of the Women’s Outreach Network has advised that our outreach methods have been effective in bringing out the women from Staten Island’s North Shore communities, which contain a large number of the borough’s under-served population. Outreach included sending notices to local legislators, Legal Aid, HRA, NAACP and Project Hospitality. Notices were also posted in Spanish and English in storefronts throughout the neighborhood as well as at the local post offices. Flyers were placed on Information Tables at neighborhood street fairs, and a press release was sent to the Staten Island Advance, which ran a prominent article with the eye-catching by-line of “Free Mammograms.” In the past, they have also posted the information with their local cable TV network and did a cable TV show which aired several times. This also proved to be effective. In 2005, they were pleased to facilitate a connection between Project Hospitality and the Women’s Outreach Network. Now, they have their own van coming to the offices of El Centro de Hospitalidad in Port Richmond, where more women can be provided with this lifesaving service. The Staten Island group, in addition, set up annual information tables in each Staten Island Courthouse and the County Clerk’s Office, with materials furnished by the Staten Island Division of the American Cancer Society. These materials were available throughout the month of October. Finally, once again, on October 16, 2005, the women from the Staten Island Women’s Bar Association and JALBCA walked, as a team, to raise money for breast cancer research at the ACS Making Strides Walk at Clove Lakes Park, Staten Island. NBCCF Annual Advocacy Training Conference The National Breast Cancer Coalition Fund (“NBCCF”) has scheduled their Annual Advocacy Training Conference for April 29 through May 2, 2006 at the Renaissance Hotel at 999 9th St., NW, Washington, DC 20001. At the conference, hundreds of breast cancer advocates learn the latest about breast cancer science, research and public policy. To learn more about the conference, and to obtain a registration form, visit www.stopbreastcancer.org or call the Event Professionals toll free at (866) 640.0969. Scholarships are available. JALBCA November Program On November 30, JALBCA presented its monthly program, “Update on Developments in Breast Cancer at ASCO,” with guest speaker Edward P. Ambinder, M.D., President of the New York State Society of Medical Oncologists and Hematologists. ASCO is an organization comprised of clinicians and researchers. Dr. Ambinder summarized the findings presented at the ASCO conference. First, he presented an overview, remarking that the sale of breast cancer drugs generated $6.2 billion in 2005 with over 40 drugs being developed specifically for breast cancer. He identified the five types or categories of drugs used for breast cancer: (1) cytotoxics (e.g., paclitaxel), (2) endocrine drugs (e.g., tamoxifen), (3) biphosphonates (e.g., clodronate), (4) receptor inhibitors (e.g., trastuzumab or herceptin), and (5) antiangiogenesis (e.g., bevacizumab or evastin). Dr. Ambinder generally summarized the results of many clinical trials which were considered noteworthy and discussed at the ASCO conference. He described, for example, trials involving drugs that block estrogen. Estrogen is made by the body, not just by the ovaries, but also by the skin, muscle, adipose tissue, adrenals and breast stromal tissue. The letrozole/ tamoxifen study, involving 8,028 women who were followed for a median time of 25.8 months, showed that letrozole was more effective than tamoxifen in preventing breast cancer recurrence and does not cause the side effects of increased risk of uterine cancer or thromoflibitis, although the side effects of letrozole included joint pain, bone fractures and slightly elevated cholesterol. Some rare side effects, fatal cardiac and cerebrovascular events, were also more frequent with letrozole. Moreover, he also described another study, involving the switch to anastrozole after 2 to 3 years of taking tamoxifen. This study showed that both event-free and progression-free survival improved. Dr. Ambinder mentioned certain drugs which build up bone, one of these being zoledronic acid. This drug improves bone density in patients who receive aromatase inhibitors. He cautioned, however, that there were at this time statistics only for one year of the study. Dr. Ambinder also described other ongoing trials – one which measures breast cancer cells in the peripheral blood as a possible predictive tool; one which attempts to predict if a certain treatment would benefit a patient by looking at gene clusters and examining which are underworking and which over-working. In addition to describing many of the clinical trials which have recently drawn the attention of researchers and oncologists, Dr. Ambinder discussed the initiatives which are presently being pursued to change the practice of oncology. Oncologists are looking to increase efficiency in ways that would reduce drug errors and occurrences where medicines harm patients. In this regard, physicians, a majority of whom do not maintain electronic records, seek to install computer systems which are able to talk to one another and to have physicians be able to communicate with patients on the internet on an informationally-secure basis. He acknowledged that it is important for patients to be in control of their medical records. The federal government is apparently willing to help physicians pay for this initiative to the following extent. Medicare will make the program available almost without cost for physicians in the United States who take Medicare patients. While this federal initiative is not currently aimed at oncologists, it will need to be adopted for them, something which Dr. Ambinder is working on as part of his association with ASCO. He noted that electronic records at the Veterans Administration have been used for approximately 20 years, at its 1300 installations worldwide. Recent Breast Cancer News Low-Fat Diet Improves Breast Cancer Survival. A new report, referred to by Dr. Larry Norton at JALBCA’s Annual Symposium in October 2005,concluded that breast cancer survivors may reduce the risk of recurrence by following a low-fat diet. A National Cancer Institute study followed 2,437 post-menopausal breast cancer patients for five years after standard surgery and cancer treatments. Researchers instructed 1,462 of the patients (the control group) to continue their regular diets; 975 patients (the low-fat group) were given intensive counseling with a dietitian to reduce their fat intake. The control group consumed an average of 51.3 grams of fat per day, which is less than the average American’s fat intake. The low-fat group consumed an average of 33.3 grams per day, which is slightly more than in a typical vegetarian diet. After five years, 12.4 percent of the women eating their usual diet had cancer recurrences, compared to only 9.8 percent of the low-fat diet group -- a 24 percent reduction in recurrence. Low-fat dieters with estrogen-negative tumors experienced a 42 percent reduction in recurrence. The research paper was presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting on March 16, 2005. Coffee May Lower Some Breast Cancer Risks. A new study, which investigated the relationship between consumption of caffeinated coffee and breast cancer risk, was published in the January edition of the International Journal of Cancer. The research team was led by Dr. Andre Nkondjock of the University of Montreal, and senior author Dr. Steven A. Narod of the University of Ohio. The study found that the risk of actually developing breast cancer decreased in proportion to the volume of coffee consumed over time. The reduced risk, however, applied only to caffeinated coffee and to women who carry a mutation in either the BRCA-1 or BRCA-2 genes. In all, 1,690 women from 40 clinical centers in four countries were surveyed about their lifetime coffee consumption through a self-administered questionnaire. It was reported that those women who drank one to three cups daily had a 10 percent lower chance of developing breast cancer than those who did not drink coffee; those who drank four or five cups had a 25 percent lower risk; and those who drank six cups or more daily had a 69 percent lower risk. Caffeine is known to help the body break down estrogen, which is known to stimulate breast cancer. Additionally, coffee is an important source of phytoestrogens, which reportedly may have a protective effect against cancer. On the other hand, caffeine is also said to deplete the bones of important minerals and hasten osteoporosis. Researchers will likely not be recommending enormous quantities of caffeinated coffee for women with the BRCA genes until larger studies can confirm this finding. Medicare Coverage of Oncotype DX ™. In January 2006, Genomic Health, Inc. announced that the National Heritage Insurance Company (NHIC), the contractor that administers Medicare programs in California, has established a positive coverage policy for the company’s Oncotype DX(TM) breast cancer test. Medicare bills for Oncotype DX are currently billed through NHIC because the test is conducted by Genomic Health, a life science company, in its Redwood City, California clinical reference laboratory. This is a diagnostic multi-gene expression test that uses the unique gene expression profile of a patient’s tumor to quantify the likelihood that her breast cancer will recur in women with early stage invasive breast cancer. A “recurrence score” is calculated, which correlates to the likelihood of breast cancer recurrence within ten years of initial diagnosis. The test examines the expression of 21 genes within a tumor sample. It is said to provide doctors with information as to the aggressiveness of a tumor and can also assess a patient’s likely benefit from certain types of chemotherapy, which can then inform a treatment plan customized to the patient’s individual disease. The company claims that the Oncotype DX test is validated for patients who are recently diagnosed, stage I or II, node-negative, and estrogen receptor-positive, and who will go on tamoxifen treatment; it is not validated for women with metastatic breast cancer. It typically takes 10 to 14 days from the date the tumor sample is received by Genomic Health for the test results to be available. The home website for Genomic Health reveals that the company is willing to bill insurance plans directly on behalf of insured patients in the United States whose physicians order the Oncotype DX assay. If an insurance reimbursement claim is denied on first review, the company claims it will work diligently with the Medical Director of the specific insurance plan to appeal the decision, with support from the patient’s physician on an as-needed basis. However, where appeals are exhausted and there is a final adverse determination on the claim, the patient may be billed for the invoice balance and the patient, in any event, is responsible for any co-pays and/or deductibles applicable to her/his health insurance plan. Calendar of Events SHARE (Self-Help for Women with Breast or Ovarian Cancer) 1501 Broadway, Ste. 704A New York, NY www.sharecancersupport.org Call 212.719.0364 for further information Women with a Local Recurrence or Second Primary Women with a local, non-metastatic recurrence or with a second primary will have the opportunity to share their feelings and concerns. This group will enable participants to share their emotional concerns as well as to discuss the impact of making new decisions regarding treatment.
Ductal Carcinoma In Situ (DSIS) Support Group Often there are conflicting interpretations of the risk presented by this diagnosis and different opinions about appropriate treatment. The emotional fallout generated by a diagnosis of DCIS will be addressed at this peer-led support group.
Young Women -- Newly Diagnosed & Post-treatment Ongoing group for women age 40 and under to discuss issues related to being diagnosed with breast cancer at a young age. Common concerns include: one’s changed sense of self, relationship issues, childbearing, premature menopause, professional workplace issues,
MEMORIAL SLOAN-KETTERING CANCER CENTER Post-Treatment Resource Program Educational Forums 1275 York Avenue, Room M107 New York, NY 10021 www.mskcc.org Call 212.717.3527 to register for the following program: Autologous Stem Cell Transplant: Transitions
ADELPHI NY STATEWIDE BREAST CANCER Hotline & Support Program Adelphi University School of Social Work Garden City, NY 11530 www.adelphi.edu/nysbreastcancer JALBCA does not endorse the content or efficacy of any workshops or programs listed in the Calendar of Events; listings are for informational purposes only, so that our readership is aware of current offerings. |
|||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
Home | About | Hotline | Newsletter | Calendar | Contact Mailing List | Membership | Donations | Links |
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||