The news-feed featured a young, beautiful woman in a
strapless gown. Miss America contestant Allyn Rose had announced that she will
undergo a double mastectomy after the 2013 pageant. The pageant queen’s mother was diagnosed with
breast cancer at 27 and claimed her life after a re-occurrence of the disease at
50 years of age. Rose is currently disease-free and is undergoing this
procedure for prophylactic reasons.
More disturbing than the headlines labeling this story as a
“beauty undergoing a dramatic physical transformation” are the loose cannons in
comments - that Rose is uninformed and mislead by her doctors; that breast
cancer – a disease that has been documented as far back as 1600 BC - can be
prevented simply by large doses of iodine or daily servings of broccoli juice –
that if Rose is concerned about the genetic course of breast cancer in her
family, she should consider sterilization.
The personal voice to Rose’s platform of preventative health is being
lost in the din of ignorance. A time when there could be understanding about
genetics and the possible final days of pro-active health decisions doctor and
patient are being lost.
Dr Mangus Westgren, Director of OB-Gyn at the Karolsinka
Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, is offering a solution to save lives and gain
data that could lead to more informed choices.
Tumors
which originate in the cells of the fallopian tubes account for 75% of all
ovarian cancer and 90% of ovarian cancer deaths. Dr Westgren proposes bilateral
salpingectomy,
removal of the fallopian tubes, as a method of reducing the incidence of
ovarian cancer. Women would be informed of the availability of BSE to be
completed during cesarean sections as a preventative to ovarian cancer while
seeking a permanent method of birth control. Data for reductions in diagnosis
over a 15 year period versus occurrence in the general population would be
gathered to determine if the significant reduction of risk would lead doctors
to counsel their patients on the option of BSE as an ovarian cancer
preventative for all women.
While some bodies discourage screening for the general population, and unreliable screening methods exist for those the high-risk
pool, we are thankful for cancer warriors like Dr Westgren who see the need to
take action for prevention. Methods and
measures that might look drastic to some are informed, educated, life-saving choices
to others.
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