Study: Artery findings in Mammograms may signal heart disease

Calcium in breast arteries and heart disease risk
Research presented at the Menopause Society annual meeting in Chicago highlights that calcium buildup in breast arteries, detected via mammography, may indicate a higher risk for heart disease rather than cancer. A study following 400 women for 18 years found that 23% of those with breast arterial calcifications developed atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, compared to 13.9% without. Another study involving nearly 47,000 women linked breast arterial calcifications to increased risks of stroke, cardiovascular death, and heart failure. Experts suggest that this finding could improve cardiovascular risk assessment.

Telehealth in palliative care
A recent study published in JAMA shows that cancer patients receiving early palliative care via video visits experience similar improvements in quality of life compared to those receiving in-person care. The study involved 1,250 patients with advanced lung cancer and found no significant differences in satisfaction, mood, or caregiver perceptions between the video and in-person groups. This supports the use of telehealth services to improve access to palliative care for those with serious illnesses.

CAR-T Cell Therapy and Cancer Risk
A review of 18 clinical trials involving CAR-T cell therapy reveals that the risk of developing a second malignancy is not higher than with other standard treatments. The study, covering 5,517 participants, found a 5.8% rate of second cancers, with similar rates between CAR-T and standard therapy groups. While patients with multiple prior treatments had a higher risk, overall, CAR-T therapy does not significantly increase the risk of secondary cancers compared to traditional therapies.