Sign in

or Register now

MyBreastCancerNetwork.com

See all of our health sites at www.HealthCentral.com
Monday, November, 23, 2009
  • Font size
Featured ContentPJ Hamel On NPR!

Breast Self-Examinations: We Must Demand More

Fran Visco
Fran Visco
Close
President, National Breast Cancer Coalition

Fran Visco

...

Fran Visco

Wednesday, July 23, 2008
View All of Fran Visco's Posts
Are you surprised about this past week's news on breast self-exams (BSE)? The Cochrane Collaboration reported that Jan Peter Kosters, Ph.D., and Peter Gotzsche, Ph.D., of the Nordic Cochrane Centre, updated their 2003 review of BSE studies. Kosters and Gotzsche's conclusion remains the same: "At p...
  1. LOOK for changes in breast
    Marilyn Kirschenbaum
    Thursday, July 24, 2008 at 11:53 AM

     

    In answer to your question about the past week's news on BSE, yes I was surprised! Fran, I'm sure you know a myriad of people who performed the BSE and found lumps that were malignant; therefore early diagnosis; lives were saved. I do believe ‘they' were talking about women in particular who are frightened and are doing BSE on a daily basis.   

     

    I feel pre-menopausal young women should continue to do BSE after they menstruate.  As a woman I do appreciate how most of us do have benign lumps or fibrocystic breasts. The general public has been taught to feel for lumps but we're working diligently to educate woman to LOOK for changes in their breast.

     

    Although Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC) is not common in comparison to other forms of breast cancer, how many people know you don't have to have a lump to have breast cancer?  When a person is diagnosed with mastitis, a benign breast disease usually with a fever of 101 F  this is treated successfully with antibiotics.  IBC can mimic mastitis and with IBC there is NO fever.    

     

    How many people do not know, even while pregnant or breastfeeding, if the antibiotics are not working, IBC should be ruled out! 

    How many people do NOT know if they have what appears to be a bruise, insect bite or a rash on their breast that doesn't dissipate with creams or salves, they should see their doctors. Mammograms do NOT usually detect Inflammatory Breast Cancer

     

    IBC has other symptoms and doctors continue telling woman it's ‘nothing' and if they have severe pain in their breast(s) it's not cancer because breast cancer doesn't hurt!

     

    Are you aware (and you most likely are) Carolyn McCarthy introduced HS Bill#1300?       http://carolynmccarthy.house.gov/?sectionid=155&sectiontree=155&itemid=771  

     

     

    Bottom line is YES .. we do need to focus more on research but my personal feelings are to expedite on our focus for more research dollars,  physicians, hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, researchers AND advocates will have to stop competiting with one another, share their data before we can come up with the cause and hopefully the cure! 

     

    Thanks for allowing me to vent!  On a personal note with a smile on my face my daughter Karen is an 11 year IBC survivor and continues to do remarkably well.     I had proudly lobbied several years with NBCC and admire you and your staff for all the time and efforts you have put forth!  Thank you!

     

    Marilyn ‘Mare' Kirschenbaum

    Vice President

    Inflammatory Breast Cancer Foundation

    www.Eraseibc.com

    www.komotv.com/ibc

     

     

     

    Reply
  • Font size
  • Bookmark
  • Thank you for your input
  • Save
  • RSS
  • Report Abuse

Ask a Question

Get answers from our experts and community members.

View all questions (3920) >