Breast Cancer Survivors And Advocates From Across California Call For Continued Support Of The Every Woman Counts Program

Breast cancer survivors and advocates from across California traveled to Sacramento Wednesday, March 9th, to stress to policymakers the importance of the Every Woman Counts (EWC) program that helps detect breast cancer early. Organized by the state's Susan G. Komen for the Cure® Affiliates, the breast cancer advocates also urged lawmakers to maintain their commitment to women in California, by preserving funding to the EWC program, which provides vital breast cancer screening services for California's uninsured and underinsured women.


"We fully understand the tough economic situation our elected leaders face and the difficult choices they must make," said Jamie Ledezma, Chair of the Komen California Collaborative. "It's important to remember that early detection through regular cancer screening is a key to surviving breast cancer. For many women, the state's screening program ensures that a lost job or lost insurance doesn't result in a lost life."


While in Sacramento for the day, representatives from the seven Affiliates met with legislative leaders and administration officials to discuss the importance of the EWC program. The program, they noted, is essential for detecting cancers early. The 5-year survival rate for breast cancer when found early is 98 percent, but plummets to 23 percent when the cancer has spread to other parts of the body.


"We are all just one biopsy away from a changed life. That's why we need to focus on prevention and early detection measures so that we begin treatment early, when it's more successfully and cost effectively treated," said Ledezma.


In January 2010, the California Department of Public Health (DPH) shut the EWC's doors for the remainder of the fiscal year and closed access to the program for women ages 40 to 49. That last cut was particularly troubling because almost half of the women screened by EWC are in their 40s.


The California Affiliates of Susan G. Komen for the Cure® applaud the bipartisan effort of our state leaders for honoring their commitment to women in California by restoring funding to EWC in the state budget last October. On December 1, 2010, the DPH officially reopened the doors and began providing life-saving breast cancer screening to eligible women ages 40 and over. The California Affiliates call on our state leaders to protect funding for EWC for the next fiscal year.


The California Affiliates recognized the efforts of Senator Noreen Evans (SD-2) by awarding her the "Legislator of the Year" for leading the way to restoring EWC for women in California last year.


The California Affiliates also honored the tireless commitment by late Senator Jenny Oropeza for her work on women's health issues during her tenure in the state legislator. As a tribute to Senator Oropeza's dedication to fostering protections for women's health issues, the Los Angeles County Affiliate, in joint collaboration with the California Affiliates, have established the Senator Jenny Oropeza Public Policy Internship. Ms. Rebecca Rodstein, a Master's of Public Health student at USC, is the first intern to serve in the Senator Jenny Oropeza Public Policy Internship.


The Komen Affiliates noted that they are critical community partners. Komen has invested more than $23 million in active research grants in California and there are currently 73 active research grants in the state, including awards to UCLA, UCSF, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, California Pacific Medical Center, Stanford University, UC Davis School of Medicine and the Burnham Institute for Medical Research.


The Komen Affiliates that serve California invested over $10 million in their local communities last year for early detection and treatment of breast cancer, breast health education and outreach. Nationwide, Komen Affiliates invested a total of $130 million in their local communities.


Source:

Susan G. Komen for the Cure

Progesterone Reduces Rate Of Early Preterm Birth In At Risk Women

A new study published online in the journal Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology has found that progesterone, a naturally occurring hormone, reduced the rate of preterm birth before the 33rd week of pregnancy by 45 percent among one category of at risk women.



The women in the study had a short cervix, which is known to increase the risk for preterm birth. The cervix is the part of the uterus that opens and shortens during labor.



The study also found that infants born to women who had received progesterone were less likely to develop respiratory distress syndrome, a breathing complication occurring in preterm infants.



The study was undertaken by physicians of the Perinatology Research Branch at NIH's Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) along with 44 medical centers around the world (including Asia, Africa, Europe, North and South America). The study was a collaboration between the NIH and Columbia Laboratories, Inc., in Livingston, N.J.



"Our study demonstrates that progesterone gel reduces the rate of early preterm delivery - less than 33 weeks - in women with a short cervix," said Roberto Romero, M.D., program head for Perinatology Research and Obstetrics and chief of the Perinatology Research Branch. "Women with a short cervix can be identified through routine ultrasound screening. Once identified, they could be offered treatment with progesterone."



Dr. Romero explained that progesterone is a naturally occurring hormone which is essential to maintain pregnancy and that a short cervix is thought to be a sign of a possible shortage of progesterone.



The study authors reasoned that by giving progesterone to women with a short cervix, they could, in many cases, prolong pregnancy.



A total of 458 women with a short cervix (10-20 millimeters) were randomly assigned to receive either a vaginal gel progesterone preparation or a placebo between the 19th and 23rd week of pregnancy.



Progesterone treatment was associated with a lower rate of preterm delivery at less than 33 weeks (8.9 percent in the progesterone group versus 16.1 percent in the placebo group). Differences in the rate of preterm birth were also seen in births before 28 and 35 weeks of pregnancy.



Infants born to women who received progesterone had a lower rate of respiratory distress syndrome than those in the placebo group (3 percent versus 7.6 percent).




Full citation:

"Vaginal progesterone reduces the rate of preterm birth in women with a sonographic short cervix: a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial"

Romero et al..

Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology;
April 6, 2011.

Alexandria, Va., Honors Progressive-Era Advocate Kate Waller Barrett, Washington Post Columnist Writes

Washington Post columnist John Kelly recently examined the legacy of Kate Waller Barrett, a Progressive-era advocate who worked to improve the lives of sex workers and women who gave birth out of wedlock. On Thursday, the city of Alexandria, Va., honored Barrett by declaring May 20 to be Kate Waller Barrett Day and unveiling a plaque at a local library named after the activist, who died in 1925.

According to Kelly, "At a time when such social ills as prostitution and out-of-wedlock childbirth were not thought appropriate subjects for polite society, [Barrett] rolled up her sleeves and plunged in."

Kelly continues, "Barrett said it was the arrival of an unwed mother at her door, clutching a child in the rain and desperate for a handout, that spurred her to action." Barrett became a doctor and went on to open the Florence Crittenton Home for Unfortunate Women, where residents learned skills such as nursing, cooking and sewing. Kelly notes, "There was a nursery for the children" because "Barrett didn't approve of taking them from their mothers and putting them up for adoption" (Kelly, Washington Post, 5/20).


Reprinted with kind permission from nationalpartnership. You can view the entire Daily Women's Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women's Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families.


© 2010 National Partnership for Women & Families. All rights reserved.

Obstetrics Gynecology & Infertility, 6th Edition PDA Software

USBMIS, a leading provider of mobile medical software, announced the release of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Infertility for Palm and Pocket PC handhelds.


Obstetrics, Gynecology & Infertility provides useful information for immediate patient care, as well as a basis of practical knowledge for a career in obstetrics and gynecology. Based on the completely rewritten, revised, and updated 6th edition handbook, this PDA software offers mobile access to everything needed to provide comprehensive healthcare to women.


Obstetrics, Gynecology & Infertility PDA software has over 400 tables, flowcharts and figures making each topic easier to recall. In addition, there is information on the subspecialties of maternal-fetal medicine, reproductive endo?¬crinology, and gyn-oncology, as well as a broad base of general medicine reflecting the new emphasis on Ob/Gyn as it expands to include primary care for women.


" This is a superb contribution that is essential for the practice of OB/GYN and womens health in todays setting. As hard as I tried I could not find anything that was missing. This is a treasure. " - Alan DeCherney, M.D., Editor, Fertility and Sterility.


USBMIS, a respected software developer for the medical industry, plans to shortly release a BlackBerry version of this valuable product, along with other top medical references over the coming months. In addition to the Palm and Pocket PC versions currently available at www.usbmis, a desktop edition of Obstetrics Gynecology & Infertility is also available. The desktop edition is a larger version of the printed handbook bundled with the PDA edition at a discounted price and is on hand at all major medical bookstores.


For more information about Obstetrics, Gynecology & Infertility, powered by USBMIS, please visit usbmis.


About USBMIS, Inc.


US Biomedical Information Systems is a leading developer of handheld reference software for medical professionals. USBMIS software solutions create user-friendly programs that work to the exacting standards of physicians at the bedside, in the clinic, and in the medical laboratory. Since 1999, USBMIS medical software has helped medical professionals in over 150 different countries find important information quickly on their handheld computers.


About Obstetrics Gynecology & Infertility, Desktop edition


Includes print edition and 1 year PDA software subscription. Available at all major medical bookstores.

usbmis