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Screening for Breast, Cervical Cancer: The New Advice

February 26th, 2010 at 09:16am Under Health report

This is the VOA Special English Health Report.

Sometimes new health advice conflicts with old advice. Yet new guidelines last week for breast cancer testing in the United States created a storm of debate. The advice came from experts who are appointed by the government to develop guidelines for preventive services, like mammograms.

Congresswoman Sue Myrick of North Carolina is joined by other lawmakers as she discusses new guidelines for mammograms on November 18

The experts advised most women to get fewer mammograms. They said the risk of needless treatment outweighs the good from more tests. The new advice is to get tested every two years, instead of yearly, and to start at age fifty instead of forty.

The task force must not consider medical costs. But critics accused the Obama administration of trying to limit mammograms to save money.

The administration pointed out that the current members of the group were appointed during the last administration. And officials said the study had begun long before the latest debate on health reform.

The House of Representatives passed health care legislation earlier this month. And the Senate agreed Saturday to begin full debate on its own bill.

The secretary of health and human services said the new advice would not affect government policies. Kathleen Sebelius advised women to “keep doing what you have been doing.”

Some say they worry that health plans might pay for fewer mammograms now. But every state except Utah requires insurance companies to pay for testing women in their forties.

There appeared to be less reaction later in the week when a different group released new guidelines for cervical cancer testing. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists said the timing was just by chance.

The new guidelines say women age twenty-one to twenty-nine only need to get a Pap test every two years instead of yearly. Girls are advised to begin testing within three years of when they first have sex, or in any case no later than twenty-one.

A Pap test looks for abnormal cervical cells that could become cancer. Doctors may remove suspicious growths. But the experts say that in most cases in young women, these growths would go away by themselves. Removing them can lead to problems such as scarring and the need for Cesarean births later.

Cervical cancer is highly curable if it is found early. Pap tests have saved countless lives. Today most of the deaths are in countries with poor health care.

And that’s the VOA Special English Health Report, written by Caty Weaver. For more health news, go to voaspecialenglish.com. I’m Barbara Klein.

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Alcohol, the ‘Asian Flush’ and the Risk of Cancer

July 30th, 2009 at 03:00am Under Health report

This is the VOA Special English Health Report.

A question from Taiwan: Chung-Li wants to know why his face turns red when he drinks alcohol.

A party in Tokyo

This effect called facial flushing is a common reaction to alcohol among East Asians. It affects an estimated thirty-six percent of Japanese, Chinese and Koreans. The reaction is also known as “Asian flush” or “Asian glow.”

For many, even a small amount of alcohol can cause unpleasant effects. Most commonly, their face, neck and sometimes their whole body turns red. People might also feel lightheaded and sick to their stomach. They might experience a burning sensation, increased heart rate, shortness of breath and headaches.

The cause is a genetic difference that they are born with called an ALDH2 deficiency. It prevents their bodies from processing alcohol the way other people do.

But the effects might be more serious than just a red face. Researchers warn of a link between this condition and an increased risk of cancer of the esophagus from drinking alcohol. A new report appeared in March in the journal PLoS Medicine, published by the Public Library of Science.

The more alcohol that people with this deficiency drink, the greater their risk. In Japan and South Korea, for example, many people have the deficiency but still drink heavily. Researchers found that these drinkers develop a form of esophageal cancer six to ten times more often than those without the deficiency.

Esophageal cancer is one of the deadliest cancers. It can be treated when found early, but once it grows the chances of survival drop sharply.

The researchers estimate that at least five hundred forty million people have the deficiency, about eight percent of the world.

Philip Brooks is a researcher at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism in the United States. He says it is important to educate people about the link between the alcohol flushing effect and esophageal cancer.

He says doctors should ask East Asian patients about their experiences with facial flushing after drinking alcohol. Those with a history of it should be advised to limit their alcohol use. They should also be warned that cigarette smoking works with the alcohol in a way that further increases the risk of esophageal cancer.

And that’s the VOA Special English Health Report, written by June Simms. Archives are at voaspecialenglish.com. I’m Steve Ember.

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