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WASHINGTON, DC  – May 9, 2023 – On May 9^th, the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) issued new recommendations for women to be screened for breast cancer every other year starting at age 40 rather than at 50. The recommendations had last been revised in 2016. The current guidelines recommend that women between ages 40 and 50 discuss earlier screening with their doctor if they feel that they are at a higher breast cancer risk. The USPSTF is a national group of experts that sets the standards for preventive tests and screenings. Their new recommendations are for women at average risk for developing breast cancer. Cancer is harder to identify on a screening mammogram of dense breast tissue so some women may require an ultrasound or an MRI as the screening test. If the screening mammogram is positive, then the next step would be an advanced imaging study like an ultrasound or an MRI followed by a surgical biopsy for positive findings. A risk analysis is performed earlier than the recommended starting age for screening tests so that higher risk women can be screened earlier.

Many health organizations have had different breast cancer screening recommendations based upon their group’s evaluation of the benefits versus the drawbacks of early screening. The benefits include saving more lives with an earlier diagnosis before the cancer becomes harder to treat. The drawbacks are an unnecessary surgical biopsy and mental anguish after a false positive mammogram. The American College of Radiology prefers an annual screening for women at average risk to begin at age 40. The American Cancer Society feels that women should get mammograms yearly from 45 to 54 and then at age 55 change over to every other year; although women can choose to start yearly mammograms at age 40.

Breast cancer is the 2^nd-leading cause of cancer deaths in U.S. women, behind lung cancer. 1 out of 8 women develop breast cancer during their lifetime. Almost 30% of all new cancers in U.S. women, equal to 300 thousand cases a year, are from breast cancer.

Reducing health disparities through evidence-based screening and treatment is currently being evaluated. Although the median age for the diagnosis of breast cancer is 62, it varies according to racial group. Black women are 40% more likely to die from breast cancer, have a younger median age of diagnosis, and have a more aggressive type of cancer than white women. A diagnosis under age 50 is associated with having a more aggressive cancer. Therefore, preventive tests at an earlier age can identify a higher percentage of more severe cancers.

Women are at a higher risk for breast cancer if any of the following factors are present:

• Dense breast tissue of a more fibrous nature than fatty tissue. Almost one-half of women have dense breast tissue.
• A positive family history of first-degree relatives or multiple relatives having either breast or ovarian cancers.
• Increasing age
• Genetic predisposition through mutation or inherited genes
• Prior history of breast cancer

The Task Force will decide whether to go ahead with the new screening guidelines after public comment ends on June 5^th.

Listen to the full report below:

Contact: Dr. Dick Needleman, Health reporter, 103.3 AshevilleFM, [email protected]

ATLANTA, GA – May 11, 2023 – Now that the U.S. public health emergency has ended, tracking wastewater for the COVID virus will become a more important indicator for how much virus is in the community. The National Wastewater Surveillance System, established by the CDC in 2020, will continue to track COVID-19 virus in wastewater samples from many wastewater treatment plants representing almost 140 million people, but not every American. The data is reported to the CDC and the state. One of the sampling sites is from Buncombe County.

Wastewater monitoring can be used to provide early warning for COVID outbreaks in a community. The wastewater trends have historically mirrored the case counts. Infected people shed the virus in their feces just after they become infected. The amount of virus shed is analyzed weekly to determine the direction of the spread in the community. This allows the public health department to act more quickly to slow the spread of the virus if the COVID-19 virus levels are rising. It will help at-risk people decide whether go to indoor concerts and other public indoor spaces. Scientists are learning more about how to interpret the wastewater data. The number of sampling sites are likely to increase as the data is better understood. Wastewater analysis can be used for other diseases like influenza and polio surveillance in a community.

The revised Buncombe County wastewater data from the week ending on May 3^rd indicate that:

• The number of viral gene copies in each water sample is at a blue level representing the 2^nd out of 5 groups, where the 1^st group is the lowest level of virus and the 5^th group is the highest level of virus
• The number of viral gene copies in each water sample has decreased by 10-99% over the past 15 days.

Listen to the full report below:

Contact: Dr. Dick Needleman, Health reporter, 103.3 AshevilleFM, [email protected]

ASHEVILLE, NC – May 17, 2023 – The U.S. public health emergency for COVID-19 infection ended on May 11^th even though the virus has not gone away. According to the CDC, more than 1,000 Americans died from COVID-19 during the week of May 3^rd. Last year it was the 4^th leading cause of death in the U.S., down from 3^rd in 2021. More and more Americans have developed some immunity to this disease from immunizations and previous infection, reducing the risk of developing severe illness. New variants continue to infect people with the most at-risk groups more susceptible to severe illness.

The end of public health emergency signifies changes in data reporting by the federal and state government. The CDC and North Carolina COVID Dashboards will no longer report COVID-19 Community Levels, Community Transmission Levels, the number of cases and vaccination status. Both websites will tabulate data for COVID-19 hospitalizations, deaths, and emergency department visits.

There are fewer Buncombe County COVID-19 metrics on the North Carolina COVID Dashboard. Data from the week ending on May 3^rd indicate:

• COVID-19 hospitalizations are unchanged from last week.
• Wastewater monitoring will be reported later in the health report

The Department of Health and Human Services wants everyone to know:

• COVID-19 is an infectious disease that is caused by a virus
• It can spread rapidly.
• It can affect different people differently. Some people have mild symptoms like a cold and others have more severe symptoms like a bad case of the flu. It can harm other parts of the body too. Some effects can be long-lasting.
• Older adults and immunocompromised people are at a higher risk of developing severe illness and being hospitalized. The CDC recommends that people in these groups get an updated COVID-19 bivalent booster.
• The updated bivalent COVID vaccine gives the best protection against severe illness, hospitalization and death from the new variants.

The Department of Health and Human Services recommends:

• Stay up-to-date with COVID-19 vaccines and the updated bivalent booster.
• Wear a tight-fitting mask for extra protection
• People who are positive for COVID-19 or do not feel well should stay home
• People with any COVID symptoms should get tested
• If you test positive, see your doctor because your doctor may recommend medical treatment

Listen to the full report below:

Contact: Dr. Dick Needleman, Health reporter, 103.3 AshevilleFM, [email protected]