Sunday, July 28, 2024

WOMEN’S HEALTH SPOTLIGHT: STATE SENATOR SAUD ANWAR - "TIME IS LIFE"

Click this banner for VIDEO and Press Release about the Natl. Dense Breast Disclosure Event



CONNECTICUT PUBLIC ADVOCATE FOR UNDERSERVED WOMEN 

7/13/2024 ‐ The  Women's  Health  Collaborative  proudly celebrates the dedicated commitment and support of STATE SENATOR SAUD ANWAR (D‐South Windsor) of District 3 for his legislative work in health initiatives for women. A pulmonary physician  by  profession,  Sen.  Anwar  joined  public  office  in 2013 as mayor  of South Windsor,  CT  (until 2015, and 2017‐2019). 

Senator  Anwar  is  involved  in  humanitarian  and  peace initiatives  nationally  and  internationally.  He  is  frequently invited  to  consult  for  our  government  and  has  organized medical  missions  for  disaster  relief.  His  efforts  have  been recognized  at  the  state  and  federal  levels  and  by  several  professional  organizations.  He  has  received  numerous citations for his service to the State and is an expert on international affairs.[1] 

In 2022, Sen. Anwar was appointed Senate Co‐Chair of the Public Health Committee in the General Assembly. During his  term,  Sen.  Anwar  approved  Senate  Bill  1  (SB1),  taking  on  women’s  health  by  empowering  the  Public  Health Committee to advance breast health and breast cancer awareness‐ requiring the chairpersons of the public health committee to convene a working group to promote greater understanding of the importance of early breast cancer detection in the state. The working group shall identify organizations that provide outreach to individuals, including, but not limited to, young women of color and high school students, regarding the importance of breast health and early  breast  cancer  detection‐  and  submit  to  the  public  health  and  appropriations  committees  under  legislative proposals that will improve breast cancer awareness and early detection of breast cancer[1]. Another major focus issue also includes addressing SYSTEMIC RACISM in healthcare as a Public Health Crisis ‐ where underserved groups such  as  black  women  "are  up  to  four  times  more  likely  to  die  of  pregnancy  related  complications  than  white women"[2] 

PARTNERING  WITH  COMMUNITY  LEADERS  ON WOMEN’S HEALTHCARE
In  the  Fall  of  2023,  The  Women's  Cancer  Screening Coalition  (WCSC)  initiated  a  partnership  outreach  with community  leaders  to  unite  in  support  of  improving public  health  programs  for  women.  Dr.  Robert  Bard, cancer diagnostic imaging specialist (NY/CT) co‐founded a public  project  implementing  the  use  of Point‐of‐Care Ultrasound as an affordable and accessible  screening  solution  to early  detection.  "Aligning with leaders like Sen. Anwar is so inspiring to us all... we need to get the word out about the current health crises that continue to plague women of all ages‐ and the latest technologies and modalities that offer life‐saving answers to these issues." Upon  drafting  the  discussion  points  with  Sen.  Anwar’s  office,  Dr.  Leslie  Valle‐Montoya  (CA)  echoed  Dr.  Bard’s ultrasound screening plan for women.  Partnering with lawmakers and community leaders pursues a “more realistic and profound solution to any health crisis”.  She also reflected on Sen. Anwar’s women’s initiatives as “forward thinking and a logical roadmap  to  addressing  the  imbalance  of  accessibility  and affordability.” 

Upon a recent conference with the Women's Health Collaborative (WHC)  Mr.  Joe  Cappello  of  the  Are  You  Dense?  Foundation expressed his appreciation to the legislator's initiatives in women's health‐ during a discussion about the upcoming confirmation of the National Dense Breast Disclosure  Law  on September  10,  2024 at the  Connecticut  Legislative  Office  Building.  "We  have  always appreciated the great support of Sen. Anwar and his administration for women's healthcare... he is the 'real deal' when  it  comes  to  understanding  women's  current  health  challenges  such  as  endometriosis  care,  the  need  for improved early detection for younger ages and the link between breast cancer and dense breast tissue." 



Excerpt from the Women's Health Digest Podcast

WHD Podcast host Lennard Gettz discusses some of the most highly needed public programs for underserved women with state champion for women's health, Senator Anwar.  Explored topics included: improvements in early detection policies for women under 40, dense breast screening (to mitigate the possible links with breast cancer) and collaborating with insurance companies to allow better coverage for women's issues.  

Click more videos of Sen/Dr. Anwar:


FROM THE INTERVIEW:
By Sen. Saud Anwar ‐ 7/12/2024
As a health professional, I saw the failure at all different levels that led for a patient to be so sick and so unwell that they had to be in the ICU and fighting for their life. If you look at women's health, it's very clear that there is a delay in care.  At times, we are missing cardiac disease in women. We also know that sometimes their symptoms are not necessarily recognized and paid attention to the level that it should. Another example is endometriosis; it may take many  years  before  somebody actually diagnoses it, let alone treat it.  But  the  treatments  are somewhat limited.  

TIME IS LIFE
We've  done  a  good  job  in  raising awareness  on  mammograms,  but we  have  not  talked  well  enough about  the  limitations  of  the mammograms. We have not addressed the new tests that are going to be able to identify illness in a timely fashion. Time is life. And when there's a delay in identification of the disease, we are losing months or years of somebody's life. This is far too common in our public health system, in our clinicians, in our training, but also in the insurance industry's willingness to cover some of the tests. And a combination of all of these things are leading to our citizens, our family members, our spouses, our sisters, our mothers, our women in the community who are not getting that opportunity to be able to maximize their life full potential because their healthcare is not equal. 

Clearly this is well recognized especially in our minority communities such as the Latino, African American and Asian Americans communities‐ and especially in economically challenged areas. A combination of all of these result in NOT getting the care that they deserve. It's very clear that we have a lot of opportunity in education. We have a lot of opportunity and advocacy about this as well. So if you start to put all the gaps together, we can see where the missing links are and we can address those needs, starting with the medical and scientific communities‐ and go from there. 


COLLABORATION:
FROM PHYSICIAN TO LAWMAKER
In  healthcare,  it  is  truly  about  collaboration.  The overwhelming  majority  of  the  time,  a  village  of caregivers is working together to make sure that the outcome of  the wellbeing of a patient is going  to be the primary concern... and we do our best to take care of it.  There's many similarities between the hat I wore as a physician to serving my district and my state. So in this area, you also sit down and evaluate all ideas available to  solve  a  problem.  It  makes  sense  to  listen  to everybody  because  good  ideas  are  not  restricted  to one group of people or one political party or one specialty.  You look for the most efficient solution‐ and the more we disagree and come to a better consensus, the better it is because then we have looked at the pros and cons. You need to consider all the possible intended and unintended outcomes for assessment before you write a policy‐ with the foresight of how it plays out works in the future.  

FOCUS ON WOMEN'S HEALTH NEEDS
We are making sure in the state of Connecticut that we are protecting our women, and we are making sure that women will have the right to choose. That's one of the bills that is important to me. We have also been  able  to  make  sure  that  we  increase  the  coverage  for mammograms‐  especially  with  tomosynthesis.    This  imaging  feature can actually start to predict and identify the enhancement of cancers at an early stage. It's very critical to be able to do that. We were able to pass that  (bill) as well  ‐and  that's  something  that we are  celebrating because we are now able to identify these illnesses sooner.  

With respect to endometriosis, in the state of Connecticut at the University of Connecticut, we now have the means of keeping track of endometriosis cases. We have an entire department dedicated to looking at it and identifying ways to address that going forward. We put in seed money as a state to give us enough support that is going to result in hopefully getting NIH funds to Yukon for endometriosis research. We also have been looking at ways of working with insurance industry not to restrict care if somebody needs an MRI.  We are making sure that they will get that MRI if they have dense tissue. (This has been an ongoing concern). And if a patient has dense breast tissue, clinicians and that patient needs to be aware that mammogram is not going to be the best way to approach this, and they need to go further. So then we are trying to push on the insurance industry and to not restrict the care and diagnostic care that is going to be needed.  





WHAT DOES ADVOCACY MEAN?
By: Geri Barish / The Hewlett House
Decades into my life-long crusade to fight for cancer victims, I look at advocacy as waging a  relentless war from every means possible. It's about dedicated awareness and education about prevention and early detection.  It also means stepping up to the front lines for one's life, for someone you know or someone you love. It is not being afraid to stand out in the crowd and demand the need more research or hold someone's hand while we are calling for better methods and treatments.  It is standing up for what we believe in for tougher insurance laws to protect those in need. Bella Abzug told me if you have to knock down the doors in Albany or bang on the Front Door of the White House, don't be afraid to be heard!  Our outcry is for the people who need help... for those of us who have yet to be treated and those of us that need to be heard.  When your child asks you to make the cancer go away,  what do you tell them?  You do everything and anything you can to find the answers!  Sometimes we lose but we never give up. I know I will never give up. I lost my child but as an advocate I will keep fighting for yours.  

THE POWER OF ALLIANCE
By Noelle Cutter, PhD.
The Women's Health Collaborative for Breast Cancer is an outstanding initiative that exemplifies the power of community health and advocacy. By bringing together a diverse group of healthcare professionals, survivors, and advocates, this collaborative creates a supportive and empowering environment for women affected by breast cancer. The focus on community health ensures that everyone, regardless of their background or socioeconomic status, has access to vital information, resources, and support services.

The collaborative's emphasis on advocacy is particularly personal with me in my own journey with women's health and dense breast cancer research. As both an educator, and research scientist, I am impressed by the collaboration across different sectors—medical, social, and educational—the initiative effectively addresses.  It is clear that the Women's Health Collaborative is making a profound impact by fostering a culture of openness, support, and proactive health management with their multifaceted approach in education, outreach programs, and community-driven initiatives.

Overall, the Women's Health Collaborative for Breast Cancer stands as a beacon of hope and progress, demonstrating the transformative power of collective action. It not only improves individual lives but also strengthens the entire community's commitment to fighting breast cancer and supporting women's health. I am thrilled to be a part of this outreach. Visit the WHC Women's Cancer Programs





References: 

1) PEACE INITIATIVES: https://www.saudanwar.com/about 

2) "Senator Anwar  Joins Senate Vote To Approve Comprehensive Bill  to Declare Racism a Public Health Crisis, Address Health Issues Exacerbated by the Pandemic & Strengthen Connecticut’s  Pandemic  Preparedness" https://www.senatedems.ct.gov/anwar‐210518






Sunday, April 28, 2024

Prenuvo: My Experience with A New Approach to Early Detection

THE PROMISE OF EARLY DETECTION
Roberta Kline, MD

Despite the promise of early detection, women have had a long history of underdiagnosis of health issues. Having practiced as a board-certified OB-GYN for 15 years, I know firsthand the importance of early detection for some of the most common women’s health issues, including cancer. After all, basic bloodwork, pap smears, and mammograms are routine parts of women’s health care. However, these only address a small fraction of the diseases and health issues that women can face throughout their lives. 

The failure of early detection can be due to many reasons, including a lack of effective screening tests, lack of support for the widespread use of current screening technologies, or lack of access to these services. Some diseases, such as endometriosis, ovarian and pancreatic cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease, have had no effective screening tests and are often not diagnosed until much later in the disease process. Others, such as brain or aortic aneurysms, uterine fibroids, gallstones, and cancers of the bone, liver, or kidney can be detected by currently available imaging, but these are not part of the standard recommendations. 

In a healthcare system that generally prioritizes disease diagnosis over disease prevention, this failure to adopt a proactive approach is not surprising. While enabling early intervention through prevention and early detection strategies is often cost-effective in the long run, it is often more resource-intensive in the short run. Changing this on a global level requires a different mindset and reorganization of resources. It also requires innovative ways of thinking and creating potential solutions. 

(See Full Story)



Cancer Science News features Dr. Ben Ho Park on EARLIER DETECTION
& THE TYPES OF BREAST CANCERS



Ben Ho Park, MD, PhD, is Director of the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center (VICC). Dr. Park is also a Professor of Medicine in the Department of Medicine's Division of Hematology and Oncology. Dr. Park's research is dedicated to finding a cure for all types of breast cancer by investigating mutated and altered genes responsible for the development and progression of breast cancer, as well as genes that lead to drug resistance. He is actively involved with the VICC Breast Cancer Research Program’s clinical research team to translate his research into clinical practice and patient care.  (Complete interview & feature story)






Video Part 1: Introduction & Spotlight on Nancy (Natl Dense Breast Disclosure Act)

Natl Dense Breast Disclosure Law (9/10/2024) Video Part 1