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- Breast Cancer Detection Bill Passes Legislature (9/12/11)
State Senator Joe Simitian's (D-Palo Alto) bill to improve breast cancer detection has passed the State Legislature and now goes to the Governor for consideration. Senate Bill 791 requires that following a mammogram, patients with dense breast tissue be informed that they have dense breast tissue, that dense breast tissue can obscure abnormalities (i.e., cancer) on a mammogram and that they may wish to discuss the potential value of additional screening(s) with their doctors.
- Press Conference on SB 173
Dr. Dean testifies before California State Senate. This law would make it mandatory for Radiologists to inform their patients of their breast density. Mammograms are not as effective for women with dense breasts. Adjuncts such as ultrasound, thermography, clinical exam and/or MRI should also be utilized.....Watch
Nancy Cappello, Amy Colton, Dr. Dean
- Judy Dean MD first in tri-county region to join the National Mammography Database
Launched in 2009 by the American College of Radiology, the National Mammography Database (NMD) is an information system that allows facilities to compare their mammography results and outcomes with national and regional data. The goal of NMD is to improve patient care through peer review and self-assessment using objective measures. The program is voluntary, and to date only a small fraction of eligible facilities have joined.............Read More
- Medical Radiation Fact Sheet
The typical American is exposed to about 3.0 mSv (milli Sieverts) per year from natural background radiation. People living at high altitude, for example in Denver, Colorado are exposed to a higher level ionizing radiation of about 4.0 mSv per year from natural background radiation.
An average mammogram results in approximately on half of a mSv ( 0.5 mSv) radiation dose to the breasts, with no significant scatter to other organs. The dose is higher if less compression is used, more views are needed, or the breasts are very dense; even so a mammogram is less than the natural background radiation absorbed in just a few months. There is no significant radiation of the thyroid or any organ other than the breasts from mammography............Read More
- Study estimates consequences of revised mammography guidelines
In 2009 the US Preventive Health Task Force broke with recommendations by numerous medical societies and professional organizations and advocated no routine mammography screening before age 50, and then only every two years.
A newly published report estimates an excess of 100,000 breast cancer deaths if the 20 million US women currently 30 to 39 years old follow the Task Force recommendations, instead of having a mammogram yearly from age 40 to 84.
The American Cancer Society, American College of Radiology, and several other medical societies continue to recommend annual mammography starting at age 40.
- "Are You Dense" Campaign gains momentum
In 2009 Connecticut passed legislation mandating that radiologists inform women if they have dense breast tissue demonstrated by mammography, and more states are now considering similar action.
The Connecticut lay is known as "Nancy's Law" for Nancy Capello, who received a diagnosis of advanced breast cancer after a normal mammogram when she was 51 years old. Capello founded ARE YOU DENSE, to promote information about the risk of missed cancer in women with dense breast tissue. Capello has also been instrumental in organizing the Density Education National Survivors' Effort (DENSE) which supports density notification legislation.
Other states considering proposals include California, New York, Florida, and Massachusetts.
Dr. Dean advocates additional screening with ultrasound for women with dense breasts. Notification of her recommendation has been included with every results letter since 2005.
- Dr. Dean Honored....Watch
- Dr. Dean Feature on KEYT. Watch
- WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT MAMMOGRAPHY SCREENING GUIDELINES
The American Cancer Society and the American College of Radiology recommend annual screening mammography beginning at age 40. Women with higher risk due to family history of early, pre-menopausal breast cancer may need to start earlier. Since mammography became widely available in this country in the 1990's breast cancer deaths have decreased 30%...........Read More
- Dr. Dean offers a new procedure : Cryoablation
Dr. Dean strives to provide the very latest techniques and advances in patient care. We are pleased to announce the introduction of a new procedure at our office called Cryoablation.
Cryoablation is a new, highly advanced option for treating benign fibroadenomas. Unlike removing a fibroadenoma surgically, Cryoablation is minimally invasive and produces no scarring or change in breast size or volume. To perform the procedure a small probe (about the size of a biopsy needle) is inserted into the tumor using ultrasound guidance. The cryo-probe is used to freeze the tumor, stopping its growth and allowing the body to absorb the dead cells naturally over a period of months. As the process is non surgical, it takes about a half hour and uses only local anesthetic. Patients are able to drive afterwards and most experience only minimal pain.
This method is ideal for women with painful fibroadenomas; women with smaller breasts where removing the tumor would result in a visible difference in the patient’s breast size and shape; for women in the cancer age group, as leaving an existing benign tumor may make it harder to differentiate malignant growths from the pre-existing tumor; women with multiple or recurrent fibroadenomas; and for women diagnosed with a fibroadenoma in their teens or twenties where the tumor will likely still grow and could eventually disfigure the breast.
For more information on this procedure, you can visit http://www.sanarus.com/visica.html, or schedule a consultation with Dr. Dean.
- Dr. Dean’s AJR Article
The American
Journal of Roentgenology (AJR) has published Dr. Dean’s research on Computer-Aided Detection
(CAD), Volume 187, No.1 in July, 2006. AJR is a peer-reviewed publication, and
one of the two major scientific journals in the
field of diagnostic radiology. Titled “Improved
Cancer Detection using Computer-Aided Detection
with Diagnostic and Screening Mammography; Prospective
study of 104 cancers”, the paper reports
on over 9500 mammograms. Of the cancers detected
during the study using mammography, ten were not
apparent to the radiologist without using CAD.
CAD was effective in detecting additional cancers
in both Screening (asymptomatic) and Diagnostic
(patients with lumps or other symptoms) populations.
During the study period two patients with breast
implants had cancers marked by CAD, and one of
these would not otherwise have been detected.
Two recurrences of cancer following lumpectomy
were also marked by CAD.
Significant numbers of cancers were not marked
by CAD, however, underscoring the importance of
using CAD markings only as a guide to additional
findings. Possible evidence of cancer noted by
the radiologist should never be dismissed because
it is not also marked by CAD, as not all cancers
are marked by currently available CAD systems.
The additional cancers detected using CAD were
significantly smaller than the cancers detected
by the radiologist regardless of CAD findings.
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