Brandon Twp.-Medical advice changes as knowledge increases.
Dr. David Pinelli, D.O. will offer a free program on updates in cancer screening guidelines from 7-8 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 8, at the library, 304 South St., Ortonville.
‘In the last few years, there have been a lot of changes, a lot of controversy about screenings and what ages you should do them,? said Pinelli, an internist at McLaren Oakland Ortonville. ‘There are new recommendations and some modifications. I want to give an update to try and clear the air.?
The right time to screen for cancers including breast, prostate, ovarian, uterine, cervical, and colon is not simplistic. While there are general age guidelines, they are affected by risk factors including family history, race, obesity and smoking.
‘You can’t just say that if you are a 40-year-old female, this is what you should have,? Pinelli said. ‘Screenings need to be personalized and predicated on having a discussion with your physician.?
Pinelli will discuss the ages at which individuals with low-risk, including no symptoms of disease and no family history of cancer, should be screened. He will also talk about the risks of the actual screenings and the need to weigh benefits against risk. With mammograms for example, there is the benefit of detecting a lesion at an early stage, but there is also the risk of radiation exposure. Mammograms are not typically done on women in their 20s because women so rarely are diagnosed with breast cancer at young ages and repeated radiation exposure can result in cancer. The new guidelines recommend women without a family history of breast cancer begin having mammograms at 45.
There are risks to other screenings as well. Colonoscopies, he notes, are an invasive procedure in which an injury can occur. PSA blood tests, which screen for prostate cancer, are not considered invasive, but have the potential for a false-positive, which can lead to costly, unnecessary procedures including biopsies.
‘You have to weigh the risks and benefits of screenings and make your best educated decision based on your risk factors,? said Pinelli. ‘I’m looking forward to talking to citizens about screening for cancer in 2015 and how the guidelines might be changing.?
For more information, visit www.brandonlibrary.org or call 248-627-1461.