Dear Women's Imaging Insider,
Your job may be a risk factor for breast cancer, according to the findings of a new study. Researchers from Denmark found that women who worked outdoors for at least 20 years had a lower risk of developing breast cancer. Find out the potential reason why in this edition's Insider Exclusive.
Also new in the Women's Imaging Community, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has taken the first step toward issuing new breast screening guidelines. The recommendations can affect how private insurers reimburse screening and will be the first update to the USPSTF's screening guidance since 2016.
The last time the USPSTF issued guidance, the task force maintained its contentious 2009 recommendation that women in their 50s only receive mammography screening every two years, and the group stopped short of recommending routine screening for women in their 40s, instead advising that they consult with their physicians. Maintaining these positions would be a mistake, according to expert Dr. Daniel Kopans. In his thorough Second Opinion piece, Kopans outlines the factors the task force should address to "present a fair and impartial review of the science and evidence in favor in breast screening."
In other news, a multidisciplinary panel advised that older breast cancer survivors who have less than five years of life expectancy should no longer undergo routine surveillance mammography -- even if they have a history of high-risk cancers. The guidelines were approved by a prominent geriatric oncology organization in order to personalize surveillance mammography.
Finally, breast ultrasound was used to demonstrate signs of lymph node enlargement in four cases of patients who received the COVID-19 vaccine. The team behind the case studies shared the patient images and diagnoses to help spread awareness about axillary adenopathy after vaccination with the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines.
Have you seen lymph node changes or other side effects of the COVID-19 vaccines in your practice? I'd love to hear about your experiences on Twitter or by email.
