Word: breast
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...comes word that breast self-exams may not be so helpful after all. After reviewing eight major studies, a Canadian task force has concluded that there is little evidence that the technique saves lives. Indeed, the data the group looked at suggest that breast self-exams can do more harm than good, prompting unnecessary testing of what are in fact normal lumps. The task force's recommendation: women should no longer be routinely taught how to screen themselves for breast cancer...
Meanwhile, there is a large body of evidence to show that the best way to detect breast cancer is with mammograms and annual breast exams by a physician. Surveys suggest that many women regard breast self-exams as just as good as mammography at finding tumors. That's simply not the case...
...still possible that breast self-exams will prove to be valuable for many women, say those with a family history of breast cancer. If you decide regular self-exams make sense for you, ask a physician or other health professional to teach you how to do them right. The most important thing is to report any unusual changes to your doctor. Many breast cancers are still found by women themselves, often while showering or during sex. Even if monthly breast exams don't wind up saving lives, knowing what's normal and what's not for your breasts could help...
...Commission, is finishing a large-scale mortality study on cancer among flight crews, which is examining the medical history of 22,000 pilots and 50,000 flight attendants. Results are due soon, but Germany's Cockpit Association, a professional organization of pilots and engineers, warns the findings will reveal breast-cancer rates among stewardesses may be twice as high, and skin-cancer rates up to 15 times as high as those of the general populace...
...skeptic, all evidence is anecdotal. But some anecdotes are more than encouraging; they are inspiring. Consider Sue Cohen, 54, an accountant, breast-cancer survivor and five-year yoga student at the Unity Woods studio in Bethesda, Maryland. "After my cancer surgery," Cohen says, "I thought I might never lift my arm again. Then here I am one day, standing on my head, leaning most of my 125-lb. (57-kg) body weight on that arm I thought I'd never be able to use again. Chemotherapy, surgery and some medications can rob you of mental acuity, but yoga helps compensate...