October 2009
NEW for 2009 - research abstracts for the ASM will be published in Breast Cancer Research
The ASM POSTERS are already published online for MEMBERS ONLY - ASM sneak peek
Programme, abstract registration and further links available here
BREAST IMAGING RESEARCH NETWORK microsite - now online
UPDATED ASM meeting programme - there have been a few changes
NEW Members only site - RCRBGmembers.com
Updated Constitution pages available
BREAST IMAGING RESEARCH NETWORK (BIRN) Workshop - The RCR breast group has set up a Breast Imaging Research Network.. One of the aims of the network is to support breast research across the UK. We had a very successful workshop as part of the ASM in London. The 2nd Breast Imaging Research Network workshop will be hald the day before the Annual Scientific Meeting at Belfast in November.
Commentary on Fiona Gilbert and Ruth Warren's MARIBS paper in Radiology
Announcements
THE BREAST COURSE - The course is primarily for radiologists and focuses on image guided techniques with live demonstrations of all the core and vacuum techniques and cryo-ablation. There are also hands on work shops with all the devices available to try. Big on MR as well with Steve Harms and Christiane Kuhl doing lots of workshops. Tom Stavros is also a main contributor doing plenary lectures and workshops focused on specific problem areas. There is input from top end oncologists, pathologists and surgeons (including Emiel Rutgers from the Erasmus in Holland) as well. The faculty are also around all the time for one to one sessions - www.thebreastcourse.com
NCEPOD (National confidential enquiry into patient outcome and death) who are asking for submissions of original study proposals - see PDF file
Tuesday 18th May 2010: Breast Cancer Research 2010 Conference, Royal Society, London, UK
deadline for abstract submissions on Friday 20th November
DOCUMENTS AVAILABLE on Digital Mammography
NHS Purchasing and Supply Website info
Welcome to the home pages of the Royal College of
Radiologists Breast Group
We are a specialist group of radiologists working in breast
imaging in the UK
Membership includes associate members, such as breast
clinicians, who are medically qualified members of the breast
team. Also advanced practitioners/consultant practitioners (radiographic
technologists) who have extended their roles in film
reading, ultrasound and biopsies are allied to our group.
Most pages are accessible, but most of tyher information is only available of the seperate MEMBERS ONLY site for registered members of the
group (www.rcrbgmembers.com)
If you have problems with the site or wish to make suggestions, please e-mail the webmaster
(as he is based in San Francisco +8 hours GMT)
Are you involved in Screening Surveillance for women treated for Hodgkins Disease?
Please see this page from Sue Moss requesting UPDATED evaluation forms
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Breast Cancer Screening Guidelines Changing again
Furore in the colleges and societies, as the US preventative task force releases it's new breast cancer screening guidelines, following the release of a paper in the Annals of Internal Medicine today
Their recommendations for starting screening at 50 (for women without a family history of breast cancer) with mammograms every 2 years, and ending at 74 years, more closely mimics the recommendations for screening in European countries, and broadly similar to the UK NHSBSP.
The task force is an independent panel of experts in prevention and primary care appointed by the federal Department of Health and Human Services.
The guidelines were published in today's (Nov 16, 2009) edition of the Annals of Internal Medicine
In order to formulate its guidelines, the task force used new data from mammography studies in England and Sweden and also commissioned six groups to make statistical models to analyze the aggregate data. The models were the only way to answer questions like how much extra benefit do women get if they are screened every year
Dr. Karla Kerlikowske, a professor in the department of medicine, epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of California, San Francisco said "The message for most women is to forgo routine mammograms if they are in their 40s.
Starting at age 50, Dr. Kerlikowske said, “the message is to get 10 mammograms in a lifetime, one every two years.” That way they get the most benefit and the least harm from the test. If women are healthy, she added, they might consider having mammograms every two years until age 74.
Nearly two-thirds of all women in their 40s had mammograms within the last two years, as did 72 percent of women age 50 to 65, according to an editorial by Dr. Kerlikowske that accompanies the report.
The Society of Breast Imaging and the American College of Radiology, the American Cancer Society, and many other respected professional organizations, have voiced strong opposition to the changes proposed in the articles.
It is the opinion of the SBI leadership that adopting these guidelines would result in a major step backward in women's healthcare and increased deaths from breast cancer.
Immediately, they provided a number of guidance documents and statements as follows (which is a model for speedy response to crises) -
STATEMENT FROM THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF RADIOLOGY AND THE SOCIETY OF BREAST IMAGING:
USPSTF Mammography Recommendations Will Result in Unnecessary Breast Cancer Deaths Each Year
Talking Points in response to USPSTF Statement
Detailed ACR Statement on Ill Advised and Dangerous USPSTF Mammography Recommendations: Mammography Screening References
American Cancer Society Statement
Komen Screening Statement 11-16-09
NCI Statement
© Dr Chris Flowers, RCR Breast Group 2001-2009