Public Health Initiative

          Rotary Club of The Hudson Valley and Montefiore Einstein Cancer Center are delighted to launch this Public Health Initiative, an Outreach program for early detection of breast cancer lesions based on an innovative new device, iBreastExam.  This FDA-approved new device is (a) non-invasive; (b) portable; (c) radiation-free; and (d) gives results in minutes.  https://www.ibreastexam.com/  St. John's Riverside Hospital joined this project.
 
          In 2021, the Rotary Club conducted nine (9) such Outreaches in densely populated neighborhoods in Westchester, New York.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMliormlmcM.   Montefiore Einstein Cancer Center now joins this Initiative, given its pivotal significance in providing access to preventative medical care, especially in this field.   
 
The Breast Cancer Challenge
 
1.    About 1 in 8 U.S. women (about 13%) will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of their lifetime.  https://gis.cdc.gov/Cancer/USCS/#/AtAGlance/ 

2.    About 43,250 women are expected to die of breast cancer in the U.S. 2022, https://www.cancer.org/cancer/breast-cancer/about/how-common-is-breast-cancer.html,  and estimated 287,850 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed , along with 51,400 new cases of non-invasive (Dual Carcinoma in situ or DCIS) breast cancer.  https://www.breastcancer.org/facts-statistics.  

3.    African American women have a 31% breast cancer mortality rate – the highest of any U.S. racial or ethnic group.  https://www.bcpp.org/resource/african-american-women-and-breast-cancer/

4.    Breast cancer incidence is higher among young African American women than White women.  https://www.bcpp.org/resource/african-american-women-and-breast-cancer/

5.    Younger women in general, and younger African American women in particular, are more likely to present with the triplenegative subtype of the disease, a subtype that is both more aggressive and associated with a higher mortality.  https://www.bcpp.org/resource/african-american-women-and-breast-cancer/

6.    Diagnosing breast cancer in younger women (under 40) is more difficult, because their breast tissue is generally denser than in older women. By the time a lump in a younger woman's breast can be felt, the cancer may be advanced.  https://www.webmd.com/breast-cancer/guide/breast-cancer-young-women#091e9c5e80008ef1-1-2

7.    In addition, breast cancer in younger women can be aggressive and less likely to respond to treatment.  https://www.webmd.com/breast-cancer/guide/breast-cancer-young-women#091e9c5e80008ef1-1-2

8.    Delays in diagnosing breast cancer can cause serious - sometimes, fatal - problems.  Many younger women ignore the warning signs -- such as a breast lump or unusual nipple discharge -- because they believe they’re too young to get breast cancer. They may assume a lump is a harmless cyst or other growth.  https://www.webmd.com/breast-cancer/guide/breast-cancer-young-women#091e9c5e80008ef1-1-2

 

          As the American Cancer Society declared, breast cancer that’s found early is easier to treat successfully.  https://www.cancer.org/.  But early detection is a challenge for a large segment of the population:  women who typically fall "under the radar," i.e., women who do not undergo screening for various reasons: no insurance; fears associated with breast cancer (early menopause, sexual dysfunction, fertility issues, psychosocial issues such as anxiety, depression, body image); workplace issues; financial challenges due to the cost of cancer care; radiation and pain associated with mammograms; ignorance; and sheer lack of time in a working day especially amongst single mothers and low-income households where women work more than one job. Combined with the complacency and indifference to health typical of many young people, this leaves such women a lot more likely to become victims due to late diagnosis.  The consequences of breast cancer in young women are a lot more devastating (orphaned children, family disruption, untold suffering for everyone concerned, apart from the adverse financial effects, and the consequences on society such as juvenile delinquency, crime, and loss of youth talent).

 

 

    The iBreastExam is an "FDA-cleared wireless handheld device [which] can detect tumor tissue using new tactile sensing technology in under five minutes without causing pain or emitting harmful radiation." L.Valenti, A New Breast Cancer Detection Device Can Identify Tumor Tissue in Under 5 Minutes, Vogue (Aug. 13, 2018).  It has been highly acclaimed by the WHO and many experts, and the subject of much media coverage such as Vogue, BBC, and New York Times. See, e.g., S. Cousins, A New Way to Detect Breast Cancer, N.Y. Times (Aug 28, 2018).  The renowned professional organization, American College of Obstreticians and Gynecologists gave a ringing endorsement of iBreastExam in its Annual Meeting in 2021, terming it a "Thought Leader",  https://vimeo.com/704638276.  Drexel University proudly highlighted iBreastExam as an example of "visionary engineering" by its alumnii,  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWNOdvdEeXo, and also published a back page cover ad  in the New York Times (Apr 18, 2021)
 
          The iBreastExam is portable, about the size of a hair dryer, and easy to operate. For the WHO compendium of relevant facts concerning iBreastExam, see https://www.who.int/medical_devices/publications/compendium_2016_2017/en/
(at p. 2).  See also TED talk by the inventor, https://www.ted.com/talks/mihir_shah_a_new_technique_to_save_women_s_lives_from_breast_cancer#t-1639.  

 

          As the World Health Organization declared, the iBreastExam is extremely useful as a "clinically effective breast  cancer lesion detection," https://www.who.int/medical_devices/publications/compendium_2016_2017/en/ (at p. 2). 
1.    iBreastExam helps potentially find hard to palpate lesions, https://www.siemens-healthineers.com/en-us/accessories/ibreastexam;
2.    Clinical tests showed significantly better sensitivity than clinical breast examination.  https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X%2822%2900030-4/fulltext
3.    iBreastExam helps to reassure patients with dense breasts and those who fall outside of routine mammography guidelines, https://www.siemens-healthineers.com/en-us/accessories/ibreastexam;
4.    Documentation using iBreastExamTM reinforces any decision to seek further diagnostic imaging;
5.    It improves CBEs, a critical component of physicals for all women;
6.    It creates a record of CBEs in a consistent and repeatable format; and
7.    It easily incorporates reports into EMR systems and workflows

https://www.siemens-healthineers.com/en-us/accessories/ibreastexam

 

    Over 400,000 women in 12 countries have been screened with iBreastExam, and 175 cancers were diagnosed.  https://www.bayer-foundation.com/news-stories/ibreastexam
 
Our Public Health Initiative:  The Outreach Program

          That is why we launched this Public Health Initiative!  We conducted nine such Outreaches (New Rochelle, Peekskill, and Yonkers) last year.  Montefiore Einstein Cancer Center now joins us in this major Initiative.  The Outreaches will be held at the Yonkers Public Library, The Larkin Center, on the following dates in 2022:
1.    June 11 and 25, 
2.    July 9 and 23,
3.    August 6 and 20, and
4.    September 10 and 24.

 

After the test, Montefiore Einstein Cancer Care will advise you of follow up care as appropriate.

 

To join the waiting list for your FREE iBreastExam test, register here.

 

 

To join Rotary Club of The Hudson Valley, email: rotary hudsonvalley@gmail.com

 

To donate, click here

 

If you would like to organize such an Outreach in your community, contact us at rotaryhudsonvalley@gmail.org.  We would be delighted to help you!