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Show Pr A3 Friday, July 5, 1996 THE DAILY HERALD, Provo, Utah Z - reasf tumors grow rapidly in younger women By TARA BURGHART Associated Press Writer CHICAGO Younger women worried shout breast cancer should get mammograms at least every year, say researchers who found that breast tumors can grow from undetectable to large in less than two years among women under SO. ' Doctors have believed that mammograms are less effective in finding cancer in young women because they have denser breast tilSie and less fat in their breasts thaft older women making tumors more difficult to see on mammograms. But in a study of 28,271 women iO and older who underwent mammograms between 1985 and 1992, researchers found that breast density did not affect the accuracy of mammograms in women under SO. "For women under 50, we're Wednesday in The Journal of the American Medical Association. Why more tumors grow more rapidly in younger women is The American Cancer Society and the American College of Radiology recommend that women get mammograms every one to two years after age 40. not sure technology is the issue. The problem is you have a disease that is not very amenable to screening. It's not a disease," said Dr. Karla the study's lead author. The study was published unclear, Kerlikowske said, but it is probably linked to premenopausal hormones. A mammogram is recommended every one or two years for women over 50, said Kerlikowske, associate director of the San Fran slow-growi- Ker-likows- Throat cancer can be treated Without voice box removal cisco VA Medical Center's Women until age 50, mammograms Veterans Comprehensive Health because of the difficulty of interCenter and an assistant professor preting the results in younger of medicine. at the University of women. But the institute plans to review that decision this fall. California at San Francisco. The study's participants all If women younger than that request screenings, they should received mammograms, then were have them at least every year, given follow-u- p screenings in sucalthough Kerlikowske said she ceeding months. Researchers kept wasn't necessarily recommending track of the mammogram's sensiannual mammograms for all tivity its ability to accurately find cancer or no cancer. younger women. The American Cancer Society For women 50 and older, the and the American College of Radisensitivity was 98.5 percent within ology recommend that women get seven months. After 13 months, mammograms every one to two the sensitivity was 93.2 percent; for 25 months, the sensitivity was years after age 40. The National Cancer Institute 85.7 percent. now says there is not enough sciFor women younger than 50, entific evidence to justify regular the sensitivity of the screening was 87.5 percent within seven months, 83.6 percent .for 13 months and 71.4 percent for 25, A months. Mammograms are also least, effective for women under 50 who had a mother, sister or daughter! who had been diagnosed with the. ' disease, the study said. Dr. Peter Jokich, director of J breast imaging for ian-S- t. Luke's Medical Center ij Chicago, said the study gives him ; reason to recommend that his patients have annual mammo 't grams. Dr. Bob Schmidt, chief of mam-- ! mography at the University of; Chicago Hospitals, said more;' ' research is needed. Rush-Presbyte- r-; iroQOs By PAUL RECER AP Science Writer WASHINGTON Surgery that removes the voice box is no longer the only choice for treating most throat cancers, according to experts who say chemotherapy now has been proven just as effective against the disease. A clinical trial involving about 200 patients with cancer of the feroat showed that those who were treated with chemotherapy followed by radiation had a survival rgjg at least equal to patients who wwe treated with a surgery that wSluded removal of the voice box. Ulne study, conducted by the for European Organization Research and Treatment of Cancer was published Wednesday in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. -- Dr. Louis B. Harrison of Memorial Cancer Center in New York and Dr. Aflene A. Forastiere of Johns Hopkins Oncology Center in Baltimore both said the new study gives powerful new evidence that preserving the voice does not coHipromise the survival of some ducat cancer patients. ITI don't think there is any question now that this approach (chemotherapy) can preserve the voice box without any decrease in survival rates. Now there is an alternative to having the surgery," said Forastiere. "That's what this study provides." About 5 percent of all diagnosed U.S. cancers, some 9,000 cases, involve structures in the throat tfrzS could affect the voice or thy ability to swallow. LThe most common primary treatment has been to surgically remove the tumors, along with a margin of (normal tissue. This meant that throat cancer patients often lost their Voice box. The surgery can also affect breathing ; arid swallowing. ) In the European study, 194 . pajients with cancer of the pyri-forsinus, a throat structure next td" the larynx, were assigned to receive either immediate surgery or cancer drugs as initial therapy. The primary treatment for both groups was followed with radia-tjo- n therapy. The surgery involved removal oTthe voice box, while chemotherapy' offered the chance of preserving .the voice. v Almost 86 percent of the patients receiving chemotherapy experienced a complete or partial response, although some develThirty-foped cancer at distant sites. our of the chemotherapy patients later required surgery. wAfter three years, 57 percent of trie: patients who started therapy with drugs were still alive, while only 42 percent of the patients in the surgical arm of the study were living. After five years, the survival rates were essentially the for the 25 percent same: chjynotherapy patients, and 27 percent for the patients who with surgery. This study is extremely well done," said Forastiere. "There is no question about the results." rShe said that a study conducted by Department of Veterans Affairs researchers three years ago found similar results among patients with cancer of the larynx. Johns Hopkins and have g Memorial conducted smaller studies comparing the two types of therapy. Harrison and Forastiere said their findings were similar to those of tfef larger studies. should be some change liow (throughout the medical community) in thinking about how this Cancer is treated," said Forastiere. i;-- Sloan-Ketteri- in m; mm master. Hi u 1mr, Mzgraff , Meyer If! ore! m Sloan-Ketterin- - t - n r. i ,i ' i ''ft .... "J I'w'i, . 1 Lk. "1 i V 4 1 i 1 I ! ! 1 I " ..w 4fmrf V. 1. 1, - - : ' yJAi" I : j )?'; . ft' Mi ttti mi Mm nhI -- ' K . 1 i r ' - - , c " - I J Additional discount: With your purchase of $25 or more, step up to the register and pop one of our bonus balloons. Inside you'll find a coupon for an additional Club Plan up to 24 months. Home Furnishings purchase of $1 50 Enjoy your or more right away and pay as little as $15 a month with no finance charges if payments are made as scheduled. Interest-fre- e 10-3- off your purchase. 3 If your combined purchase in Home Furnishings totals $1 50 or more, you may spread your payments over three months... interest free! 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