MARISA C. WEISS: Hiya. I am Dr. Marisa Weiss, Chief Medical Officer of breastcancer.org reporting right here from ASCO 2023 with WebMD. There was an vital examine that checked out screening charges, and you may solely think about that originally of 2020, with a pandemic, that screening charges plummeted as a result of mammogram departments had been closed and folks had been scared to go to hospitals, however that issues began to get higher on the finish of 2020.

Nonetheless, we’ve got discovered that net-net right here at present, we’re in 2023, and this explicit examine reported out by 2022 the place the screening charges are sagging. Like, we’re down for breast most cancers screening by, I do not know, most likely a minimum of 10%. And I see it clinically as a health care provider caring for ladies with breast most cancers, extra individuals are exhibiting up with late phases of illness. They missed their mammogram for a yr or two earlier than the pandemic, they have not gotten their mammogram in the course of the pandemic, and solely now they’re having cancer– like, huge cancers current.

So when you’re listening to this, just remember to and the folks that you just care about, the folks you’re employed with, get their mammogram frequently, as a result of mammography– early detection of breast cancer– can save your life.

 

 

MARISA C. WEISS: Hiya. I am Dr. Marisa Weiss, Chief Medical Officer of breastcancer.org, reporting to you from ASCO 2023 with WebMD. I am reporting on a examine that we, breastcancer.org, performed by a survey. We had over 1,400 folks take part, and we had been trying on the affect of racial and ethnic background in your job– your employment. And never simply your employment, however the employment of you and your caregivers.

And what we discovered was fairly extraordinary– that 92% of individuals had a change of their employment for– on the time of prognosis, about 62% had been working full-time. That dropped right down to 40%. For ladies with metastatic breast most cancers, that went from 56% right down to 25% had been working full time, simply because the calls for of care actually tousled their work scenario.

For folks with non-metastatic breast most cancers, full-time fee went from 63% right down to 42% after therapy, and most of the people attributed that employment change to breast most cancers and its calls for. This was significantly true for girls who had been Hispanic, as a result of they had been extra prone to have– be youthful at prognosis, have youthful youngsters at house, have later phases of illness, and have jobs that had been rigid in order that they needed to take unpaid go away. They had been more likely to must take unpaid go away.

And for caregivers, for Hispanic ladies, about 58% of their caregivers needed to drop down their employment from full-time right down to part-time for example. And it was 58% of Hispanic ladies in comparison with 41% for Black ladies, and 25% for white ladies, so there is a huge disparity there. So the underside line is that breast most cancers can actually mess up your life, and your job is what places meals on the desk and a roof over your head. And it does not simply have an effect on you and your caregivers.

 

 

MARISA WEISS: Hiya, I am Dr. Marisa Weiss, Chief Medical Officer of breastcancer.org, reporting to you at present from ASCO 2023 with WebMD. At breastcancer.org, along with Memorial Sloan Kettering Most cancers Middle, we performed a survey to essentially learn the way laborious it’s, the hoops it’s important to soar by in an effort to get short-term and long-term incapacity, in addition to to battle again on insurance coverage denials of your care. We had over 1,400 folks take part within the survey. And about 60% had been white, 27% had been Hispanic, and about 8% had been Black.

And most of the people had early stage illness, however 11% had metastatic illness. And what we discovered was that 32% of individuals utilized for short-term incapacity, 26% utilized for long-term incapacity, which was extra widespread in folks with metastatic breast most cancers. And whereas 74% of individuals bought approval for these incapacity funds, a minimum of 25% mentioned it was actually laborious. That simply filling out these kinds and sending them in and understanding the query and the language obstacles, that it was a tough course of.

And, in fact, it was worse for folks with language obstacles, like Hispanic ladies, that fifty% extra work, extra problem. And for girls with metastatic illness, extra work, extra problem to place these functions in. Additionally, a few third of individuals applied– submitted an enchantment to their insurance coverage firm as a result of the insurance coverage firm, to illustrate, denied protection of among the expenses.

And typically, folks needed to submit an enchantment two to 5 instances. And for folks with metastatic illness, over 5 instances. And so there’s loads of work that goes into making use of for incapacity, in addition to FMLA, in addition to interesting a denial out of your insurance coverage firm.

So when you’re in that scenario, don’t– to start with, you are not alone. There are lots of people who’ve skilled this. It is a whole drag, however you will get assist.

 

 

MARISA WEISS: Hiya, I am Dr. Marisa Weiss, Chief Medical Officer of Breastcancer.org. Reporting from ASCO 2023 with WebMD. I simply wish to let you realize a few examine out of Columbia College in New York that appeared on the prevalence, that is the speed of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, which suggests like numbness and tingling ache of your palms and your toes. It additionally would possibly imply problem with motor features like buttoning a shirt or opening a jar like peanut butter or no matter it’s you open a jar for.

And what they discovered was that chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy was extra widespread in individuals who had been receiving paclitaxel, additionally known as taxel chemotherapy when in comparison with docetaxel or taxotere chemotherapy. We form of already knew this, nevertheless it’s good to see one more report that exhibits that that for the sufferers who had paclitaxel or taxel chemotherapy, the charges of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy was form of excessive on this explicit examine, 50%. Whereas, it was 40% or so for folks with paclitaxel.

In order that’s a big distinction. So when you’re identified with early stage breast most cancers or extra vital phases of breast most cancers, and your physician tells you that you’ll want to have chemotherapy, you wish to ask them what sort of chemotherapy. And allow them to know that you just’re conscious that taxel chemotherapy is extra prone to produce the aspect impact chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy. And discover out what are you able to do to decrease the incidence of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy.

One factor is the cryo-mitts, like these are chilly mitts that you just put your palms into in the course of the infusion and afterwards that appears to drop the incidence of CIP and chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy.

And in one other examine, which I am going to let you know about in a second, I used to be a principal investigator trying on the position of CBD, cannabidiol which appeared to decrease the depth of numbness and tingling associated to chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy for sufferers who’ve that symptom.

So there are vital steps which you can take to decrease the incidence and the affect of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy in your high quality of life.

 

 

MARISA C. WEISS: Hiya. I am Dr. Marisa Weiss, Chief Medical Officer of breastcancer.org, right here with you at ASCO 2023 with WebMD. I am reporting on an vital examine trying on the position of CBD– cannabidiol– within the therapy of sufferers with chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, individuals who had both peripheral neuropathy from a taxane like Taxol or Taxotere, or from a platinum-based chemotherapy for his or her therapy.

And what we discovered was that after we appeared on the folks within the study– they had been both randomized to obtain 135 milligrams of CBD derived from hemp versus placebo, they usually took the drugs for 3 months, and we watched them for one more month. We discovered that the sufferers who obtained CBD as an alternative of placebo had a decrease incidence of numbness and tingling, however no change within the ache or their motor operate when in comparison with the folks on placebo.

And that is truly an vital consequence, as a result of CBD was well-tolerated. It lowered the signs of numbness and tingling, that are a standard, tough negative effects from these commonly-used medicines. And that aspect impact truly stands in the best way of lots of people finishing their chemotherapy, particularly Black ladies who’re coping with breast most cancers. They’re extra prone to have chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy and cease their therapy early, which can partially clarify why they’ve worse outcomes with a better danger of dying from breast most cancers.

So we actually want to search out methods to assist forestall chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy. I additionally talked in regards to the chilly mitts to decrease the incidence. However then, when you have this situation, what are you able to do to decrease the depth of it and the length of that symptom? And it appears like CBD, cannabidiol– and the product we used was Ananda Hemp Ecofibre. They really supported the examine. I simply wished to reveal that to you.

135 milligrams a day in comparison with placebo. It is accessible on-line, over-the-counter. You don’t want a medical marijuana card to get these CBD merchandise from hemp. And it lowered the incidence of numbness and tingling, which is a standard tough aspect impact from chemotherapy, which helps to enhance your high quality of life.



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