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PrintMedical Reports: The Letter D
Posted: 08/10/12
Reported by:
Producer:
Angela Caraway
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What if taking one little pill a day could keep away breast cancer? 7's Diana Diaz shows how the letter D could help with the big C.
WSVN -- Marlena Hasday recently had a breast cancer scare.
Marlena Hasday: "They found something in my yearly mammogram and ultrasound. They found atypia, which are atypical cells."
Thankfully, surgery proved it was not cancer, but the 45-year-old felt like it was a wake-call to do something to prevent future cancer.
Marlena Hasday: "Perhaps this is an indicator, 'Hey do what you can, to make sure that you are taking care of all the cells in your body."
After some research she found a new study at Miami's Mount Sinai Comprehensive Cancer Center where doctors are testing Vitamin D to see if it can help reduce the risk of cancer in dense breasts.
Dr. Michael Schwartz-Oncologist, Miami's Mount Sinai Comprehensive Cancer Center: "We've known for many years now that having dense breasts is a risk for developing breast cancer, in fact its a very strong risk."
Patients will take either a mega dose of Vitamin D once a day or get a placebo.
Dr. Michael Schwartz: "We're hoping to demonstrate that women who take a high dose of Vitamin D will have reduced breast density one year later on their mammogram. Vitamin D is believed to interact with normal breast tissue and to make it a little bit more fat tissue, a little bit less glandular tissue."
Patients will get mammograms before taking the D pills and then a year later to see if their breasts are less dense or more fatty.
Dr. Michael Schwartz: "We are hoping then that with treatment of Vitamin D we can see something more like this where you can see there is white, but there's a lot less white and there's a lot more black which is the fatty tissue."
The hope is one day patients will only have to take a simple pill a day to reduce their risk for breast cancer.
Dr. Michael Schwartz: "The exciting part for an oncologist is to have something that prevents women from developing breast cancer that is well tolerated."
Marlena has been in the study for a couple of months now.
Marlena Hasday: "My hope is that I'm getting a nice big dose of Vitamin D."
She's even spending a few minutes a day in the Florida sunshine to get an extra dose of D.
Marlena Hasday: "If I can help it along the way, to not develop it, then that's what I'm participating in the study for."
Diana Diaz: "Mount Sinai is the only center in Miami participating in this nationwide study. The study is open for patient enrollment, they need about 250 women.
FOR MORE INFO:
Anyone who wants more information can call, 305-674-2625.
Marlena Hasday: "They found something in my yearly mammogram and ultrasound. They found atypia, which are atypical cells."
Thankfully, surgery proved it was not cancer, but the 45-year-old felt like it was a wake-call to do something to prevent future cancer.
Marlena Hasday: "Perhaps this is an indicator, 'Hey do what you can, to make sure that you are taking care of all the cells in your body."
After some research she found a new study at Miami's Mount Sinai Comprehensive Cancer Center where doctors are testing Vitamin D to see if it can help reduce the risk of cancer in dense breasts.
Dr. Michael Schwartz-Oncologist, Miami's Mount Sinai Comprehensive Cancer Center: "We've known for many years now that having dense breasts is a risk for developing breast cancer, in fact its a very strong risk."
Patients will take either a mega dose of Vitamin D once a day or get a placebo.
Dr. Michael Schwartz: "We're hoping to demonstrate that women who take a high dose of Vitamin D will have reduced breast density one year later on their mammogram. Vitamin D is believed to interact with normal breast tissue and to make it a little bit more fat tissue, a little bit less glandular tissue."
Patients will get mammograms before taking the D pills and then a year later to see if their breasts are less dense or more fatty.
Dr. Michael Schwartz: "We are hoping then that with treatment of Vitamin D we can see something more like this where you can see there is white, but there's a lot less white and there's a lot more black which is the fatty tissue."
The hope is one day patients will only have to take a simple pill a day to reduce their risk for breast cancer.
Dr. Michael Schwartz: "The exciting part for an oncologist is to have something that prevents women from developing breast cancer that is well tolerated."
Marlena has been in the study for a couple of months now.
Marlena Hasday: "My hope is that I'm getting a nice big dose of Vitamin D."
She's even spending a few minutes a day in the Florida sunshine to get an extra dose of D.
Marlena Hasday: "If I can help it along the way, to not develop it, then that's what I'm participating in the study for."
Diana Diaz: "Mount Sinai is the only center in Miami participating in this nationwide study. The study is open for patient enrollment, they need about 250 women.
FOR MORE INFO:
Anyone who wants more information can call, 305-674-2625.