Key points from today’s guests:
Dr. Onalisa Winblad, division director, breast imaging, The University of Kansas Cancer Center
- Nearly half of all women over 40 who get a mammogram have dense breasts. This raises cancer risks and makes cancer harder to spot.
- Back in March, the FDA updated the standards, so starting in September of 2024, mammogram reports must include a breast density assessment.
- This final rule is a win for women. Expert committees have actually been advising the FDA to require breast density notification for over 10 years. Because we have not had a national standard for density notification, it's been quite variable as breast density notification may vary depending upon the state a patient lives in or where the patient gets a mammogram. Many patients have not been getting crucial information that could save their life.
- I recommend patients get breast cancer screening exams at a facility with breast radiologists who are specialized experts and can provide the most accurate results.
- Breast cancer is extremely common. And we are going to perform a lot of biopsies so that we don't miss cancer.
- Ultrasound is another screening option, and it's typically for patients who prefer not to have an IV or contrast administered. Breast ultrasound does not find as many cancers as MRI or contrast enhanced mammography, but it's still a really good test for patients who desire additional screening for dense breast tissue.
Katie Mullen, gets extra screening for dense breasts
- Because Katie has dense breasts, she was notified by The University of Kansas Cancer Center after a routine mammogram, so she had to undergo some additional testing.
- So in addition to her yearly mammogram, Katie also receives a dense breast MRI scan six months after her mammogram.
- She recommends that women be proactive and not afraid to get screened, because it's probably going to be a lot less trouble if you do it early.
Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director, infection prevention & control, The University of Kansas Health System
- COVID hospitalizations this week have decreased from 20 patients last week to 15 patients this week.
- Sanofi has announced there is a shortage of their RSV monoclonal antibody that is given to infants under six months of age or under a year when they are born.
- The Health System doesn’t have it yet, but this is a shortage we've seen not just with this medicine, but other therapeutics as well.
Morning Medical Update is on TV in October! The four-part series Cancer: Choices, Hope and Science will air on Tuesdays in October. In the Kansas City area, it’s on KCTV5 at 9:30 a.m. and in Topeka, it’s on WIBW at 9 a.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 24 at 8 a.m. CT is the next Morning Medical Update. Meet a first- grader living with his mom's kidney inside him. We check in with Brennan to see how life has changed with his new life saving organ.
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