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FDA Says Mammography Reports Must Tell More About Dense Breasts

Patients with dense breasts revealed during a mammogram are getting more information and guidance about what that means for cancer risk and screening after a new requirement from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) took effect Sept. 10. Nearly half of women over 40 have dense breasts, which means they have a larger amount of glands and connective tissue in their breasts than women without dense breasts. Thirty-five states and Washington, D.C., already require a statement about breast density in mammography reports, but some of these reports are confusing or provide little information, said Molly Guthrie, vice president of policy and advocacy at the breast cancer organization Susan G. Komen, in a report on NPR. “It would say, ‘You have dense breasts,’ but nothing else—so they had no idea what to do, what it meant for them, and just created a lot of confusion and anxiety,” Guthrie said of the reports. Flagging breast density is important because having dense breasts is a risk factor for breast cancer, and breast density also makes it more difficult for mammograms to detect cancer. The new FDA rule requires that reports use simple language to explain what dense breasts are and offer guidance about when a person should see a doctor to learn more. The notices will identify four levels of breast density and provide standardized notifications about how that person’s level affects their screening options and cancer risk.

Youth Vaping Declines to Lowest Level in a Decade

A federal survey indicates that youth e-cigarette use has fallen by nearly 70% since the peak year of 2019 and is at its lowest level in 10 years. Nearly 6% of middle and high school students in the U.S. said they used e-cigarettes this year compared with 7.7% in 2023. Most of the decline is accounted for by lower levels of vaping in high school students, federal officials said, while middle school use remains about the same. Vaping can lead to young people becoming addicted to nicotine, and e-cigarettes have been marketed with kid-friendly flavors like fruit, candy and mint. The federal government has ramped up enforcement efforts by fining manufacturers and retailers who sell vapes not authorized by the FDA and by seizing illegal products from overseas. “This is certainly something to celebrate,” Joanna Cohen, director of the Institute for Global Tobacco Control at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, told the Washington Post in an email. “That being said, the nicotine and tobacco industry remains well-equipped to continue to hook our kids with its vast array of evolving flashy products and appealing flavors.” Among the new products are nicotine pouches, such as Zyn, that users claim can stimulate the brain. “Bottom line is that we are concerned about any tobacco product use that may appeal to youth,” Brian King, director of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products, said. “Our guard is up.”

Mindful Breathing Can Help Ease Cancer Pain, Anxiety

A 20-minute session of mindful breathing reduced pain and anxiety in cancer patients, a recent study in BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care found. Between 30% and 50% of cancer patients report at least moderate pain, and typical treatments include medications, physical or psychological therapy, and integrative therapies like acupuncture and message. In the study, researchers assigned 21 patients treated for any type of cancer at the University of Malaya Cancer Center in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to mindfulness breathing. Patients had to report a pain score of at least 4 on a 10-point scale to participate. Research assistants trained participants in the components of mindfulness breathing, which include identifying the in-breath and out-breath, following the length of each breath, bringing the mind back to the body, and relaxing the body. Nineteen other study participants received 20-minute supportive listening sessions. Study results showed that all participants in the mindful breathing group experienced greater reduction in pain intensity and unpleasantness, as well as lower anxiety, than the group that participated in listening sessions. “This brief and accessible intervention offers a complementary approach to traditional pharmacological strategies,” Seng Beng Tan, a study author and consultant in palliative medicine at Subang Jaya Medical Center in Malaysia, said in a story in Healio.