Should Genes be Patented?

I had the pleasure of meeting Dr Luigi Palombi, author of Gene Cartels: Biotech Patents in the Age of Free Trade. Dr Palombi is concerned that the USA have already patented 20% of human genes.

Dr Palomi said:

We the people need to tell our politicians and their advisors that we find anti-competitive conduct unacceptable. That using the patent system in the way that it is currently being used to expand patentable subject matter to genes and other naturally occurring biological materials is unacceptable. That when it comes to the national security of this country (and health is a matter of national security just as is the capacity to produce medicines domestically) patent laws must not be so one sided in favour of the patent owner that national security is jeopardised.

Nearly 20% of all human genes are already patented in the US, but is this grab for intellectual property slowing down vital, potentially lifesaving medical research?

Public hearings begin in some Australian cities from 3 August, discussing whether genes should be patented.
More info: http://www.aussmc.org/GenespatentJul09.php

Can You Trust Your Mammogram?
The San Francisco Chronicle reported on a large scale review of mammograms in the United States, where large variance was found in how accurate a mammogram was interpreted. The study found up to 30% of mammograms were interpreted incorrectly and the cancer was not identified.

Also reported in the story was another review of how well radiologists analyse diagnostic x-rays, that is, when they already know of the suspicious area. On average, it was found, 21% of cancers were missed at the diagnostic x-ray stage. In one centre, 73% of cancers were missed!

The story from the Chronicle here: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2009/07/29/hearstmaghealth381278.DTL

At the moment, mammography is still the most recognised way to screen for breast cancer, and many countries offer a government screening program. However, there is an ethical obligation to look at other options for the many women who choose not to have a mammogram, or for whom a mammogram may not be suitable for.

Benign breast lumps

What is a benign breast lump?
Most breast lumps are benign (non-cancerous). All women have lumpy breasts: many lumps or nodules that women find are areas of normal breast tissue which can become more prominent just before a period.
Two common causes of lumps are fibroadenomas and cysts.

Fibroadenomas
Fibroadenoma is the most common benign breast lumps seen in women under the age of 35 years. These lumps are not strictly speaking disease at all but a simple overgrowth of the lobules or the leaf of the breast tree (tissue). Usually painless, firm, solitary, mobile, slowly growing lump in the breast of a woman of childbearing years.
Most fibroadenomas are 2-3 cm in size, but may reach up to 6-7 cm. Fibroadenomas consist of epithelial and fibrous components. Branching and budding ducts are surrounded by fibrous tissue. Involution (shrinking in size) is common with increasing age of the lesion. Rarely, fibroadenomas enlarge in postmenopausal women, with or without hormone replacement therapy.
If you have a fibroadenoma, it may not need to be removed. If left alone, at least one in three of these lumps gets smaller or disappears within two years. If you are worried about the lump or it gets bigger, you can opt to have it removed.

Cysts
A breast cyst is a round or oval fluid-filled sac with distinct edges. They may be painful. You can have one or many breast cysts, often in both breasts. In texture, a breast cyst usually feels like a soft grape or a water-filled balloon, but sometimes a breast cyst feels firm. Cysts vary in size from microscopic to a few centimetres. Cysts are the most common breast masses in women aged 30 to 50 years and usually disappear after menopause, unless you're taking hormone therapy.
Cysts can be painful and may be worrisome but are generally benign. Breast cysts can be part of fibrocystic disease. The pain and swelling is usually worse in the second half of the menstrual cycle or during pregnancy.
Breast cysts don't require treatment unless a cyst is large and painful or otherwise uncomfortable. In that case, draining the fluid from a breast cyst can ease your symptoms. Cysts do not need to be drained every time. Typical treatment involves a Needle aspiration biopsy. Aspirated cysts often recur (come back); definitive treatment may require surgery.
Of every six women who develop cysts:
· three will develop only one cyst during their lifetime
· two will get between three and five cysts
· one will have more than five cysts.
The breast goes through various stages during our lifetime. It may help to think of these stages as seasons:
· During 'spring' the breast develops and this is when overgrowth of lobules (fibroadenomas) occur.
· In 'summer' the breasts live through regular menstrual cycles; women often notice pain and lumpiness immediately before their period.
· During 'autumn' the lobules of the breast tissue can become abnormal and enlarge to form cysts. Cysts are a form of ageing.

What should I do if I find a lump?
Lumps are common, and the majority are not cancerous. Nevertheless, if you find a lump in your breast, you should make an appointment for breast imaging and have the lump checked by your doctor.

The impact of being diagnosed young

Here is a story that hits home! This young woman was diagnosed at 23, after failing to convince her doctors that she had a problem.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1200552/Same-genes-background-looks-So-did-twin-cancer.html

We have heard this story many times over, about young women experiencing symptoms and not being taken seriously by their doctor.

Safe Breast Imaging suggests the two-step feel test: what does your breast symptom FEEL like, and what do you feel intuitively? If you think that you may have a problem, do not let your doctor dismiss your concerns.

Now there is screening available for women of all ages in Australia. It is safe, comfortable, radiation free. If we can pick up clues that may potentially cause problems in the future, and work on reducing our risk at that stage, isnt it a better strategy than waiting for a positive diagnosis?

Tell us what you think.

Is breast screening good for you?

There is a lot of debate lately, following the release of the most recent study by Gotzche from the Nordic Cochrane Review in Denmark looking at overdiagnosis in mammography screening programs.

The topic: Systematic review of published trends in incidence of breast cancer before and after the introduction of mammography screening.
Here is the actual study from the British Medical Journal: http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/339/jul09_1/b2587
Following the article are other relevant article details, and some "rapid responses" to the published study. Many of these responses focus on the issue of harm versus benefits of screening.

What do you think?