window.__IS_SSR__=true
window.__INITIAL_STATE__={
"attachmentsReducer": {
"audio_0": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "audio_0",
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background0.jpg"
}
}
},
"audio_1": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "audio_1",
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background1.jpg"
}
}
},
"audio_2": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "audio_2",
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background2.jpg"
}
}
},
"audio_3": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "audio_3",
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background3.jpg"
}
}
},
"audio_4": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "audio_4",
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/themes/KQED-unified/img/audio_bgs/background4.jpg"
}
}
},
"placeholder": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "placeholder",
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"height": 533,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"medium_large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-768x512.jpg",
"width": 768,
"height": 512,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"large": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 680,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"1536x1536": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"fd-lrg": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1536x1024.jpg",
"width": 1536,
"height": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"fd-med": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 680,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"fd-sm": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-800x533.jpg",
"width": 800,
"height": 533,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1038x576.jpg",
"width": 1038,
"height": 576,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"xxsmall": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-160x107.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 107,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"xsmall": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"small": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"height": 372,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"xlarge": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1020x680.jpg",
"width": 1020,
"height": 680,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"full-width": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1-1920x1280.jpg",
"width": 1920,
"height": 1280,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-32": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 32,
"height": 32,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-50": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 50,
"height": 50,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-64": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 64,
"height": 64,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-96": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 96,
"height": 96,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"guest-author-128": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 128,
"height": 128,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"detail": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-1333x1333-1-160x160.jpg",
"width": 160,
"height": 160,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg"
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/KQED-Default-Image-816638274-2000x1333-1.jpg",
"width": 2000,
"height": 1333
}
}
},
"stateofhealth_14089": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "stateofhealth_14089",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "stateofhealth",
"id": "14089",
"found": true
},
"parent": 14082,
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/08/tonigreaves_npr-peggymacdonald-0068-3000_custom-b670792b14b188500fd97e8ce18ac89bef6425bb-s40-e1375710562573-400x266.jpg",
"width": 400,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 266
},
"fd-sm": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/08/tonigreaves_npr-peggymacdonald-0068-3000_custom-b670792b14b188500fd97e8ce18ac89bef6425bb-s40-e1375710562573-320x213.jpg",
"width": 320,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 213
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/08/tonigreaves_npr-peggymacdonald-0068-3000_custom-b670792b14b188500fd97e8ce18ac89bef6425bb-s40-e1375710562573-640x372.jpg",
"width": 640,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/08/tonigreaves_npr-peggymacdonald-0068-3000_custom-b670792b14b188500fd97e8ce18ac89bef6425bb-s40-e1375710562573.jpg",
"width": 640,
"height": 426
},
"guest-author-96": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/08/tonigreaves_npr-peggymacdonald-0068-3000_custom-b670792b14b188500fd97e8ce18ac89bef6425bb-s40-e1375710562573-96x96.jpg",
"width": 96,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 96
},
"guest-author-64": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/08/tonigreaves_npr-peggymacdonald-0068-3000_custom-b670792b14b188500fd97e8ce18ac89bef6425bb-s40-e1375710562573-64x64.jpg",
"width": 64,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 64
},
"detail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/08/tonigreaves_npr-peggymacdonald-0068-3000_custom-b670792b14b188500fd97e8ce18ac89bef6425bb-s40-e1375710562573-75x75.jpg",
"width": 75,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 75
},
"guest-author-32": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/08/tonigreaves_npr-peggymacdonald-0068-3000_custom-b670792b14b188500fd97e8ce18ac89bef6425bb-s40-e1375710562573-32x32.jpg",
"width": 32,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 32
},
"guest-author-128": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/08/tonigreaves_npr-peggymacdonald-0068-3000_custom-b670792b14b188500fd97e8ce18ac89bef6425bb-s40-e1375710562573-128x128.jpg",
"width": 128,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 128
}
},
"publishDate": 1375710519,
"modified": 1375710519,
"caption": "Peggy MacDonald of Portland, Ore., chose not to have surgery for DCIS.",
"description": "Peggy MacDonald of Portland, Ore., chose not to have surgery for DCIS.",
"title": "tonigreaves_npr-peggymacdonald-0068-3000",
"credit": null,
"status": "inherit",
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"stateofhealth_14009": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "stateofhealth_14009",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "stateofhealth",
"id": "14009",
"found": true
},
"parent": 13985,
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/07/Screen-Shot-2013-07-31-at-3.03.36-PM-e1375308264959-400x268.png",
"width": 400,
"mimeType": "image/png",
"height": 268
},
"fd-sm": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/07/Screen-Shot-2013-07-31-at-3.03.36-PM-e1375308264959-320x215.png",
"width": 320,
"mimeType": "image/png",
"height": 215
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/07/Screen-Shot-2013-07-31-at-3.03.36-PM-e1375308264959-640x372.png",
"width": 640,
"mimeType": "image/png",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/07/Screen-Shot-2013-07-31-at-3.03.36-PM-e1375308264959.png",
"width": 640,
"height": 429
},
"guest-author-96": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/07/Screen-Shot-2013-07-31-at-3.03.36-PM-e1375308264959-96x96.png",
"width": 96,
"mimeType": "image/png",
"height": 96
},
"guest-author-64": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/07/Screen-Shot-2013-07-31-at-3.03.36-PM-e1375308264959-64x64.png",
"width": 64,
"mimeType": "image/png",
"height": 64
},
"detail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/07/Screen-Shot-2013-07-31-at-3.03.36-PM-e1375308264959-75x75.png",
"width": 75,
"mimeType": "image/png",
"height": 75
},
"guest-author-32": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/07/Screen-Shot-2013-07-31-at-3.03.36-PM-e1375308264959-32x32.png",
"width": 32,
"mimeType": "image/png",
"height": 32
},
"guest-author-128": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/07/Screen-Shot-2013-07-31-at-3.03.36-PM-e1375308264959-128x128.png",
"width": 128,
"mimeType": "image/png",
"height": 128
}
},
"publishDate": 1375308253,
"modified": 1375308253,
"caption": "A young Kristen Powers is held by her mother, Nicola, while her father looks on in the background. Nicola was later diagnosed with Huntington’s disease, a fatal illness. (Photo courtesy of Kristen Powers)",
"description": null,
"title": "Screen Shot 2013-07-31 at 3.03.36 PM",
"credit": null,
"status": "inherit",
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"stateofhealth_13901": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "stateofhealth_13901",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "stateofhealth",
"id": "13901",
"found": true
},
"parent": 13900,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/07/5436471236_a64b2a0245_b-e1375108767537-640x576.jpg",
"width": 640,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/07/5436471236_a64b2a0245_b-e1375108767537-400x399.jpg",
"width": 400,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 399
},
"fd-sm": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/07/5436471236_a64b2a0245_b-e1375108767537-320x320.jpg",
"width": 320,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 320
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/07/5436471236_a64b2a0245_b-e1375108767537-640x372.jpg",
"width": 640,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/07/5436471236_a64b2a0245_b-e1375108767537.jpg",
"width": 640,
"height": 639
},
"guest-author-96": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/07/5436471236_a64b2a0245_b-e1375108767537-96x96.jpg",
"width": 96,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 96
},
"guest-author-64": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/07/5436471236_a64b2a0245_b-e1375108767537-64x64.jpg",
"width": 64,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 64
},
"detail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/07/5436471236_a64b2a0245_b-e1375108767537-75x75.jpg",
"width": 75,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 75
},
"guest-author-32": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/07/5436471236_a64b2a0245_b-e1375108767537-32x32.jpg",
"width": 32,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 32
},
"guest-author-128": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/07/5436471236_a64b2a0245_b-e1375108767537-128x128.jpg",
"width": 128,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 128
}
},
"publishDate": 1375108745,
"modified": 1375108745,
"caption": "Ductal carcinoma in situ seen under a microscope. While doctors also call it Stage 0 Breast Cancer, in an article Monday, doctors argue it should no longer be labelled \"cancer.\" (Ed Euthman/Flickr)",
"description": "ductal carcinoma in situ as seen under a microscope. ",
"title": "5436471236_a64b2a0245_b",
"credit": null,
"status": "inherit",
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"stateofhealth_13672": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "stateofhealth_13672",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "stateofhealth",
"id": "13672",
"found": true
},
"parent": 13671,
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/07/5814713452_e76ebc0d05_b-e1374020401544-400x313.jpg",
"width": 400,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 313
},
"fd-sm": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/07/5814713452_e76ebc0d05_b-e1374020401544-320x250.jpg",
"width": 320,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 250
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/07/5814713452_e76ebc0d05_b-e1374020401544-620x372.jpg",
"width": 620,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/07/5814713452_e76ebc0d05_b-e1374020401544.jpg",
"width": 620,
"height": 485
},
"guest-author-96": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/07/5814713452_e76ebc0d05_b-e1374020401544-96x96.jpg",
"width": 96,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 96
},
"guest-author-64": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/07/5814713452_e76ebc0d05_b-e1374020401544-64x64.jpg",
"width": 64,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 64
},
"detail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/07/5814713452_e76ebc0d05_b-e1374020401544-75x75.jpg",
"width": 75,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 75
},
"guest-author-32": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/07/5814713452_e76ebc0d05_b-e1374020401544-32x32.jpg",
"width": 32,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 32
},
"guest-author-128": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/07/5814713452_e76ebc0d05_b-e1374020401544-128x128.jpg",
"width": 128,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 128
}
},
"publishDate": 1374020391,
"modified": 1374020391,
"caption": "Human egg in a follicle. (Ivor Mason, KCL, Wellcome Images via Flickr)",
"description": "B0007266 Oocyte in follicle\nCredit: Ivor Mason, KCL. Wellcome Images\nimages@wellcome.ac.uk\nhttp://images.wellcome.ac.uk\nA oocyte (egg cell) in a mature follicle. During the menstral cycle in females the ovary produces oocytes, which develop in follicles. As the follicle matures it increases in size, different cell types are recruited to the developing follicle to suport the ooctye prior to ovulation. This follicle may also be called an antral follicle due to the large cavity - or antral space.\nLight microscopy\nPublished: - \n\nCopyrighted work available under Creative Commons by-nc-nd 2.0 UK, see http://images.wellcome.ac.uk/indexplus/page/Prices.html",
"title": "B0007266 Oocyte in follicle",
"credit": null,
"status": "inherit",
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"stateofhealth_13656": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "stateofhealth_13656",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "stateofhealth",
"id": "13656",
"found": true
},
"parent": 13654,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/07/aspirin_ThinkStock-e1373933602980-620x576.jpg",
"width": 620,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/07/aspirin_ThinkStock-e1373933602980-400x378.jpg",
"width": 400,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 378
},
"fd-sm": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/07/aspirin_ThinkStock-e1373933602980-320x302.jpg",
"width": 320,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 302
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/07/aspirin_ThinkStock-e1373933602980-620x372.jpg",
"width": 620,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/07/aspirin_ThinkStock-e1373933602980.jpg",
"width": 620,
"height": 586
},
"guest-author-96": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/07/aspirin_ThinkStock-e1373933602980-96x96.jpg",
"width": 96,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 96
},
"guest-author-64": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/07/aspirin_ThinkStock-e1373933602980-64x64.jpg",
"width": 64,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 64
},
"detail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/07/aspirin_ThinkStock-e1373933602980-75x75.jpg",
"width": 75,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 75
},
"guest-author-32": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/07/aspirin_ThinkStock-e1373933602980-32x32.jpg",
"width": 32,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 32
},
"guest-author-128": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/07/aspirin_ThinkStock-e1373933602980-128x128.jpg",
"width": 128,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 128
}
},
"publishDate": 1373933585,
"modified": 1373933585,
"caption": "(Photo: Getty Images)",
"description": "generic aspirin bottle",
"title": "aspirin_ThinkStock",
"credit": null,
"status": "inherit",
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"stateofhealth_10715": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "stateofhealth_10715",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "stateofhealth",
"id": "10715",
"found": true
},
"parent": 10710,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/02/CT-scan-13-of-Clubs_Flickr-1024x576.jpg",
"width": 1024,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/02/CT-scan-13-of-Clubs_Flickr-400x300.jpg",
"width": 400,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 300
},
"fd-sm": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/02/CT-scan-13-of-Clubs_Flickr-320x240.jpg",
"width": 320,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 240
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/02/CT-scan-13-of-Clubs_Flickr-672x372.jpg",
"width": 672,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/02/CT-scan-13-of-Clubs_Flickr.jpg",
"width": 1024,
"height": 768
},
"fd-med": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/02/CT-scan-13-of-Clubs_Flickr-768x576.jpg",
"width": 768,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 576
},
"guest-author-96": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/02/CT-scan-13-of-Clubs_Flickr-96x96.jpg",
"width": 96,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 96
},
"medium": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/02/CT-scan-13-of-Clubs_Flickr-800x600.jpg",
"width": 800,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 600
},
"guest-author-64": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/02/CT-scan-13-of-Clubs_Flickr-64x64.jpg",
"width": 64,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 64
},
"detail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/02/CT-scan-13-of-Clubs_Flickr-75x75.jpg",
"width": 75,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 75
},
"guest-author-32": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/02/CT-scan-13-of-Clubs_Flickr-32x32.jpg",
"width": 32,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 32
},
"guest-author-128": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/02/CT-scan-13-of-Clubs_Flickr-128x128.jpg",
"width": 128,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 128
}
},
"publishDate": 1361483612,
"modified": 1361483612,
"caption": null,
"description": "CT scan",
"title": "CT scan 13 of Clubs_Flickr",
"credit": null,
"status": "inherit",
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"stateofhealth_13282": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "stateofhealth_13282",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "stateofhealth",
"id": "13282",
"found": true
},
"parent": 13276,
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/06/166731138-e1371575513819-400x300.jpg",
"width": 400,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 300
},
"fd-sm": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/06/166731138-e1371575513819-320x240.jpg",
"width": 320,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 240
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/06/166731138-e1371575513819-620x372.jpg",
"width": 620,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/06/166731138-e1371575513819.jpg",
"width": 620,
"height": 465
},
"guest-author-96": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/06/166731138-e1371575513819-96x96.jpg",
"width": 96,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 96
},
"guest-author-64": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/06/166731138-e1371575513819-64x64.jpg",
"width": 64,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 64
},
"detail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/06/166731138-e1371575513819-75x75.jpg",
"width": 75,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 75
},
"guest-author-32": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/06/166731138-e1371575513819-32x32.jpg",
"width": 32,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 32
},
"guest-author-128": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/06/166731138-e1371575513819-128x128.jpg",
"width": 128,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 128
}
},
"publishDate": 1371575502,
"modified": 1371575502,
"caption": "(Getty Images)",
"description": "Autism Concept.",
"title": "166731138",
"credit": null,
"status": "inherit",
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"stateofhealth_13156": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "stateofhealth_13156",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "stateofhealth",
"id": "13156",
"found": true
},
"parent": 13153,
"imgSizes": {
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/06/mike-portrait-2000_custom-d996cef2127dd9dfba815cff7ee66a17c718587d-s40-e1370889632990-400x277.jpg",
"width": 400,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 277
},
"fd-sm": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/06/mike-portrait-2000_custom-d996cef2127dd9dfba815cff7ee66a17c718587d-s40-e1370889632990-320x222.jpg",
"width": 320,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 222
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/06/mike-portrait-2000_custom-d996cef2127dd9dfba815cff7ee66a17c718587d-s40-e1370889632990-640x372.jpg",
"width": 640,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/06/mike-portrait-2000_custom-d996cef2127dd9dfba815cff7ee66a17c718587d-s40-e1370889632990.jpg",
"width": 640,
"height": 443
},
"guest-author-96": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/06/mike-portrait-2000_custom-d996cef2127dd9dfba815cff7ee66a17c718587d-s40-e1370889632990-96x96.jpg",
"width": 96,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 96
},
"guest-author-64": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/06/mike-portrait-2000_custom-d996cef2127dd9dfba815cff7ee66a17c718587d-s40-e1370889632990-64x64.jpg",
"width": 64,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 64
},
"detail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/06/mike-portrait-2000_custom-d996cef2127dd9dfba815cff7ee66a17c718587d-s40-e1370889632990-75x75.jpg",
"width": 75,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 75
},
"guest-author-32": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/06/mike-portrait-2000_custom-d996cef2127dd9dfba815cff7ee66a17c718587d-s40-e1370889632990-32x32.jpg",
"width": 32,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 32
},
"guest-author-128": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/06/mike-portrait-2000_custom-d996cef2127dd9dfba815cff7ee66a17c718587d-s40-e1370889632990-128x128.jpg",
"width": 128,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 128
}
},
"publishDate": 1370889581,
"modified": 1370889581,
"caption": null,
"description": "Mike Jackson has diabetes and high blood pressure. His eye was damaged after he cut back on insulin because he couldn't afford it. (Bryan Terry/NPR)",
"title": "mike-portrait-2000",
"credit": null,
"status": "inherit",
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"stateofhealth_12715": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "stateofhealth_12715",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "stateofhealth",
"id": "12715",
"found": true
},
"parent": 12706,
"imgSizes": {
"twentyfourteen-full-width": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/05/angelinajolie_foreignandcommonwealthoffice-657x576.jpg",
"width": 657,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 576
},
"thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/05/angelinajolie_foreignandcommonwealthoffice-400x389.jpg",
"width": 400,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 389
},
"fd-sm": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/05/angelinajolie_foreignandcommonwealthoffice-320x311.jpg",
"width": 320,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 311
},
"post-thumbnail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/05/angelinajolie_foreignandcommonwealthoffice-657x372.jpg",
"width": 657,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 372
},
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/05/angelinajolie_foreignandcommonwealthoffice.jpg",
"width": 657,
"height": 639
},
"guest-author-96": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/05/angelinajolie_foreignandcommonwealthoffice-96x96.jpg",
"width": 96,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 96
},
"guest-author-64": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/05/angelinajolie_foreignandcommonwealthoffice-64x64.jpg",
"width": 64,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 64
},
"detail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/05/angelinajolie_foreignandcommonwealthoffice-75x75.jpg",
"width": 75,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 75
},
"guest-author-32": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/05/angelinajolie_foreignandcommonwealthoffice-32x32.jpg",
"width": 32,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 32
},
"guest-author-128": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/05/angelinajolie_foreignandcommonwealthoffice-128x128.jpg",
"width": 128,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 128
}
},
"publishDate": 1368559253,
"modified": 1368559253,
"caption": "(Foreign and Commonwealth Office/Flickr)",
"description": null,
"title": "angelinajolie_foreignandcommonwealthoffice",
"credit": null,
"status": "inherit",
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
},
"stateofhealth_11944": {
"type": "attachments",
"id": "stateofhealth_11944",
"meta": {
"index": "attachments_1716263798",
"site": "stateofhealth",
"id": "11944",
"found": true
},
"parent": 11935,
"imgSizes": {
"kqedFullSize": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/04/kids_AlamedaCoPublicHealthDept.jpg",
"width": 224,
"height": 224
},
"guest-author-96": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/04/kids_AlamedaCoPublicHealthDept-96x96.jpg",
"width": 96,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 96
},
"guest-author-64": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/04/kids_AlamedaCoPublicHealthDept-64x64.jpg",
"width": 64,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 64
},
"detail": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/04/kids_AlamedaCoPublicHealthDept-75x75.jpg",
"width": 75,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 75
},
"guest-author-32": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/04/kids_AlamedaCoPublicHealthDept-32x32.jpg",
"width": 32,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 32
},
"guest-author-128": {
"file": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/04/kids_AlamedaCoPublicHealthDept-128x128.jpg",
"width": 128,
"mimeType": "image/jpeg",
"height": 128
}
},
"publishDate": 1365034139,
"modified": 1365034139,
"caption": "Students learn how to care for their teeth and receive preventive care at a dental clinic at James Madison Middle School in Oakland. (Photo/Alameda County Public Health Department)",
"description": "Dental Kids",
"title": "kids_AlamedaCoPublicHealthDept",
"credit": null,
"status": "inherit",
"isLoading": false,
"fetchFailed": false
}
},
"audioPlayerReducer": {
"postId": "stream_live",
"isPaused": true,
"isPlaying": false,
"pfsActive": false,
"pledgeModalIsOpen": true,
"playerDrawerIsOpen": false,
"liveAudioPlayStartedAt": 0,
"liveAudioPlayContext": ""
},
"authorsReducer": {
"lisaaliferis": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "240",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "240",
"found": true
},
"name": "Lisa Aliferis",
"firstName": "Lisa",
"lastName": "Aliferis",
"slug": "lisaaliferis",
"email": "laliferis@kqed.org",
"display_author_email": false,
"staff_mastheads": [],
"title": "KQED Contributor",
"bio": "Lisa Aliferis is the founding editor of KQED's \u003cem>State of Health\u003c/em> blog. Since 2011, she's been writing and editing stories for the site. Before taking up blogging, she toiled for many years (more than we can count) producing health stories for television, including\u003cem> Dateline NBC\u003c/em> and San Francisco's CBS affiliate, KPIX-TV. She also wrote up a \u003ca title=\"http://www.kqed.org/news/health/obamacare/obamacare-guide.jsp\" href=\"http://www.kqed.org/news/health/obamacare/obamacare-guide.jsp\">handy guide to the Affordable Care Act\u003c/a>, especially for Californians. Her work has been honored for many awards. Most recently she was a finalist for \"Best Topical Reporting\" from the Online News Association. You can follow her on Twitter: \u003ca title=\"https://twitter.com/laliferis\" href=\"https://twitter.com/laliferis\">@laliferis\u003c/a>",
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/86c339d5cdcb0dcd2b6cf5d7c3f5886b?s=600&d=mm&r=g",
"twitter": "laliferis",
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "news",
"roles": [
"subscriber"
]
},
{
"site": "futureofyou",
"roles": [
"subscriber"
]
},
{
"site": "stateofhealth",
"roles": [
"subscriber"
]
},
{
"site": "science",
"roles": [
"subscriber"
]
},
{
"site": "food",
"roles": []
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Lisa Aliferis | KQED",
"description": "KQED Contributor",
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/86c339d5cdcb0dcd2b6cf5d7c3f5886b?s=600&d=mm&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/86c339d5cdcb0dcd2b6cf5d7c3f5886b?s=600&d=mm&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/lisaaliferis"
},
"ryderdiaz": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "1462",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "1462",
"found": true
},
"name": "Ryder Diaz",
"firstName": "Ryder",
"lastName": "Diaz",
"slug": "ryderdiaz",
"email": "rdiaz@KQED.org",
"display_author_email": false,
"staff_mastheads": [],
"title": null,
"bio": null,
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/3a8471d4d33c9b4d34d5e5c60f7f8342?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": null,
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "news",
"roles": [
"subscriber"
]
},
{
"site": "stateofhealth",
"roles": [
"subscriber"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "Ryder Diaz | KQED",
"description": null,
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/3a8471d4d33c9b4d34d5e5c60f7f8342?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/3a8471d4d33c9b4d34d5e5c60f7f8342?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/ryderdiaz"
},
"state-of-health": {
"type": "authors",
"id": "8344",
"meta": {
"index": "authors_1716337520",
"id": "8344",
"found": true
},
"name": "State of Health",
"firstName": "State of Health",
"lastName": null,
"slug": "state-of-health",
"email": "stateofhealth@kqed.org",
"display_author_email": false,
"staff_mastheads": [],
"title": null,
"bio": null,
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/66de4bf6d331fa7402bba1ffe8135e17?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twitter": null,
"facebook": null,
"instagram": null,
"linkedin": null,
"sites": [
{
"site": "arts",
"roles": [
"author"
]
},
{
"site": "stateofhealth",
"roles": [
"editor"
]
}
],
"headData": {
"title": "State of Health | KQED",
"description": null,
"ogImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/66de4bf6d331fa7402bba1ffe8135e17?s=600&d=blank&r=g",
"twImgSrc": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/66de4bf6d331fa7402bba1ffe8135e17?s=600&d=blank&r=g"
},
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/author/state-of-health"
}
},
"pagesReducer": {
"stateofhealth_category_tests-treatments": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "stateofhealth_13",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "stateofhealth",
"id": "13",
"score": 14.407178
},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Tests & Treatments",
"description": "Information and new research about advances in discovering and treating diseases and conditions.",
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": "Information and new research about advances in discovering and treating diseases and conditions.",
"title": "Tests & Treatments Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 13,
"slug": "tests-treatments",
"isLoading": false,
"title": "Tests & Treatments",
"pageMeta": {
"site": "stateofhealth",
"WpPageTemplate": "page-topic-editorial",
"currentPage": 28
},
"blocks": [
{
"blockName": "kqed/company-paragraph",
"content": "Information and new research about advances in discovering and treating diseases and conditions."
},
{
"blockName": "kqed/post-list",
"attrs": {
"layout": "cardArticle2",
"query": "posts/stateofhealth?category=tests-treatments",
"seeMore": false,
"paginated": true,
"page": 28
}
},
{
"blockName": "kqed/ad"
}
]
}
},
"pfsSessionReducer": {},
"postsReducer": {
"stream_live": {
"type": "live",
"id": "stream_live",
"audioUrl": "https://hls.kqed.org/hls/kqed_app/playlist.m3u8",
"title": "Live Stream",
"excerpt": "Live Stream information currently unavailable.",
"link": "/radio",
"featImg": "",
"label": {
"name": "KQED Live",
"link": "/"
}
},
"stream_kqedNewscast": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "stream_kqedNewscast",
"audioUrl": "https://www.kqed.org/.stream/anon/radio/RDnews/newscast.mp3?_=1",
"title": "KQED Newscast",
"featImg": "",
"label": {
"name": "88.5 FM",
"link": "/"
}
},
"stateofhealth_14427": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "stateofhealth_14427",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "stateofhealth",
"id": "14427",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1376953689000
]
},
"parent": 0,
"labelTerm": {
"site": "stateofhealth"
},
"blocks": [],
"publishDate": 1376953689,
"format": "aside",
"disqusTitle": "New Method to Predict Dementia Risk for Type 2 Diabetics",
"title": "New Method to Predict Dementia Risk for Type 2 Diabetics",
"headTitle": "State of Health | KQED News",
"content": "\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_14152\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2013/08/06/draft-media-test-post/abel-2/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-14152\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-14152 \" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/08/Abel-e1375822935390.jpg\" alt=\"Abel\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/08/Abel-e1375822935390.jpg 640w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/08/Abel-e1375822935390-400x300.jpg 400w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/08/Abel-e1375822935390-320x240.jpg 320w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Abel Corona of Watsonville pours piña colada from a pitcher at his home. He is more careful about his diet since he was diagnosed with diabetes. He is a student in a diabetes self-management education class at a local health clinic, Salud Para la Gente, or Health for the People. (Vinnee Tong/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>An international team of researchers says it’s developed a tool that predicts the risk that a senior with type 2 diabetes will develop dementia in the next 10 years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>People with type 2 diabetes are known to be at a high risk of developing dementia – a range of problems that hinder memory, language, and problem solving. In fact, type 2 diabetics are two times more likely to develop dementia later in life than people without the disease.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to a \u003ca href=\"http://www.thelancet.com/journals/landia/article/PIIS2213-8587(13)70048-2/abstract\">paper published today\u003c/a> in the new journal The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, researchers have created a 20-point “risk score,” which they assign to patients based on their personal history and health issues. With each point on the scale, a person’s risk for developing dementia within 10 years grows. It’s the first risk score to be developed specifically for people with type 2 diabetes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“[The risk score] puts these patients on the radar of clinicians to know they are at high risk,” said Rachel Whitmer, a scientist with Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in Oakland, Calif. With this score in hand “the clinician could be especially attentive to looking out for memory or cognitive problems.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!--more-->\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Whitmer boasts that the simple risk score can be quickly calculated from a patient’s electronic medical records or at a routine doctor’s appointment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The researchers developed the score by finding type 2 diabetic seniors who did not have dementia. The team then followed these patients for 10 years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nearly 30,000 Californians, 60 years old or older were part of the study. Researchers gleaned information about each patient’s general health, diabetic complications and problems with blood sugar levels using their electronic health records stored in the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Diabetes Registry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The team discovered eight factors that predicted the risk of developing dementia within the following decade including, a variety of vascular complications, problems with wide fluctuations in blood sugar level, depression, age, and education.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Points are given to patients based how many of these health issues they have, their age, and their level of education. People in the lowest point category had a 5.3 percent risk for developing dementia within 10 years, while the risk for those in the highest category grew to 73.3 percent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In short, people whose diabetes is less controlled tend to have a higher risk score and may be more likely to develop dementia.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If we can predict future risk, we then know who to focus on, who to follow more, who to spend [extra] time making sure they are taking care of themselves in terms of their type 2 diabetes,” said Whitmer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since dementia predominantly affects the elderly, the older you are the more points you rack up on the risk score.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you are elderly and have type 2 diabetes, yes, you are at higher risk, but all the more reason to have appropriate glycemic control,” said Whitmer. While someone’s age is out of their control, patients can work to better manage their diabetes and seek treatment for another risk factor, depression, she added.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By creating a 10-year risk score, the researchers hope to catch high-risk people before they start having cognitive issues.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Scientists don’t know exactly why people with type 2 diabetes are at a greater risk for dementia.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some types of dementia may manifest due to reduced blood flow to the brain. And diabetes can damage blood vessels that send blood to all parts of the body, including the brain.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To date, there hasn’t been enough data available for scientists to determine if people with type 1 diabetes are also at a heightened risk for dementia.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Whitmer and her colleagues are in the process in developing a risk score for younger people with type 2 diabetes that can predict the risk of dementia for 40 years out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think it’s important for this population to know that this disease can affect their brain and can greatly affect the quality of their life,” Whitmer said.\u003c/p>\n\n",
"disqusIdentifier": "14427 http://blogs.kqed.org/stateofhealth/?p=14427",
"disqusUrl": "https://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2013/08/19/new-method-to-predict-dementia-risk-for-type-2-diabetics/",
"stats": {
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"hasAudio": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"wordCount": 754,
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"paragraphCount": 22
},
"modified": 1376953689,
"excerpt": null,
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": "An international team of researchers says it’s developed a tool that predicts the risk that a senior with type 2 diabetes will develop dementia in the next 10 years. People with type 2 diabetes are known to be at a high risk of developing dementia – a range of problems that hinder memory, language, and",
"title": "New Method to Predict Dementia Risk for Type 2 Diabetics | KQED",
"ogDescription": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "New Method to Predict Dementia Risk for Type 2 Diabetics",
"datePublished": "2013-08-19T16:08:09-07:00",
"dateModified": "2013-08-19T16:08:09-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "new-method-to-predict-dementia-risk-for-type-2-diabetics",
"status": "publish",
"path": "/stateofhealth/14427/new-method-to-predict-dementia-risk-for-type-2-diabetics",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_14152\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2013/08/06/draft-media-test-post/abel-2/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-14152\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-14152 \" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/08/Abel-e1375822935390.jpg\" alt=\"Abel\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/08/Abel-e1375822935390.jpg 640w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/08/Abel-e1375822935390-400x300.jpg 400w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/08/Abel-e1375822935390-320x240.jpg 320w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Abel Corona of Watsonville pours piña colada from a pitcher at his home. He is more careful about his diet since he was diagnosed with diabetes. He is a student in a diabetes self-management education class at a local health clinic, Salud Para la Gente, or Health for the People. (Vinnee Tong/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>An international team of researchers says it’s developed a tool that predicts the risk that a senior with type 2 diabetes will develop dementia in the next 10 years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>People with type 2 diabetes are known to be at a high risk of developing dementia – a range of problems that hinder memory, language, and problem solving. In fact, type 2 diabetics are two times more likely to develop dementia later in life than people without the disease.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to a \u003ca href=\"http://www.thelancet.com/journals/landia/article/PIIS2213-8587(13)70048-2/abstract\">paper published today\u003c/a> in the new journal The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, researchers have created a 20-point “risk score,” which they assign to patients based on their personal history and health issues. With each point on the scale, a person’s risk for developing dementia within 10 years grows. It’s the first risk score to be developed specifically for people with type 2 diabetes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“[The risk score] puts these patients on the radar of clinicians to know they are at high risk,” said Rachel Whitmer, a scientist with Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in Oakland, Calif. With this score in hand “the clinician could be especially attentive to looking out for memory or cognitive problems.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!--more-->\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Whitmer boasts that the simple risk score can be quickly calculated from a patient’s electronic medical records or at a routine doctor’s appointment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The researchers developed the score by finding type 2 diabetic seniors who did not have dementia. The team then followed these patients for 10 years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nearly 30,000 Californians, 60 years old or older were part of the study. Researchers gleaned information about each patient’s general health, diabetic complications and problems with blood sugar levels using their electronic health records stored in the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Diabetes Registry.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The team discovered eight factors that predicted the risk of developing dementia within the following decade including, a variety of vascular complications, problems with wide fluctuations in blood sugar level, depression, age, and education.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Points are given to patients based how many of these health issues they have, their age, and their level of education. People in the lowest point category had a 5.3 percent risk for developing dementia within 10 years, while the risk for those in the highest category grew to 73.3 percent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In short, people whose diabetes is less controlled tend to have a higher risk score and may be more likely to develop dementia.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If we can predict future risk, we then know who to focus on, who to follow more, who to spend [extra] time making sure they are taking care of themselves in terms of their type 2 diabetes,” said Whitmer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since dementia predominantly affects the elderly, the older you are the more points you rack up on the risk score.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you are elderly and have type 2 diabetes, yes, you are at higher risk, but all the more reason to have appropriate glycemic control,” said Whitmer. While someone’s age is out of their control, patients can work to better manage their diabetes and seek treatment for another risk factor, depression, she added.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By creating a 10-year risk score, the researchers hope to catch high-risk people before they start having cognitive issues.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Scientists don’t know exactly why people with type 2 diabetes are at a greater risk for dementia.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some types of dementia may manifest due to reduced blood flow to the brain. And diabetes can damage blood vessels that send blood to all parts of the body, including the brain.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To date, there hasn’t been enough data available for scientists to determine if people with type 1 diabetes are also at a heightened risk for dementia.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Whitmer and her colleagues are in the process in developing a risk score for younger people with type 2 diabetes that can predict the risk of dementia for 40 years out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think it’s important for this population to know that this disease can affect their brain and can greatly affect the quality of their life,” Whitmer said.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/stateofhealth/14427/new-method-to-predict-dementia-risk-for-type-2-diabetics",
"authors": [
"1462"
],
"categories": [
"stateofhealth_13"
],
"label": "stateofhealth"
},
"stateofhealth_14082": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "stateofhealth_14082",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "stateofhealth",
"id": "14082",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1375720844000
]
},
"parent": 0,
"labelTerm": {
"site": "stateofhealth"
},
"blocks": [],
"publishDate": 1375720844,
"format": "aside",
"disqusTitle": "When Treating ‘Stage Zero Breast Cancer,’ Can Less Be More? ",
"title": "When Treating ‘Stage Zero Breast Cancer,’ Can Less Be More? ",
"headTitle": "State of Health | KQED News",
"content": "\u003cp>By Patti Neighmond and Richard Knox, \u003ca href=\"http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/08/05/208239545/when-treating-abnormal-breast-cells-sometimes-less-is-more\" target=\"_blank\">NPR\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_14089\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 620px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-large wp-image-14089\" title=\"\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/08/tonigreaves_npr-peggymacdonald-0068-3000_custom-b670792b14b188500fd97e8ce18ac89bef6425bb-s40-620x412.jpg\" alt=\"Peggy MacDonald of Portland, Ore., chose not to have surgery for DCIS.\" width=\"620\" height=\"412\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Peggy MacDonald of Portland, Ore., chose not to have surgery for DCIS.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When Sally O'Neill's doctor told her she had an early form of cancer in one of her breasts, she didn't agonize about what she wanted to.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The 42-year-old mother of two young girls wanted a double mastectomy.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"pullquote alignleft\">In many cases it doesn't ever progress to invasive cancer, the type that can be life-threatening.\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>\"I decided at that moment that I wanted them both taken off,\" says O'Neill, who lives in a suburb of Boston. \"There wasn't a real lot of thought process to it. I always thought, 'If this happens to me, this is what I'm going to do.' Because I'm not taking any chances. I want the best possible outcome. I don't want to do a wait-and-see.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Today, 10 years later, O'Neill has no regrets about what most people would consider a radical decision. And as it turns out, she was at the leading edge of a \u003ca href=\"http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2012/11/28/166064484/more-women-choose-double-mastectomy-but-study-says-many-dont-need-it\">trend\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>O'Neill had \u003ca href=\"http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/breast/healthprofessional/page4\">ductal carcinoma in situ, or DCIS\u003c/a>. The number of women who get double mastectomies because of DCIS is small – around one in 16 women (see accompanying chart). But the rate has doubled in the past 10 years.\u003c!--more-->\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>DCIS is an abnormality that most specialists call \"stage zero\" breast cancer – on a scale of 1 to 4. In many cases it doesn't ever progress to invasive cancer, the type that can be life-threatening.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These women are in a very different position than actress Angelina Jolie,who recently chose to have a double mastectomy. She has a gene mutation that gives her a very high risk of breast cancer. \u003ca href=\"http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2012/11/28/166064484/more-women-choose-double-mastectomy-but-study-says-many-dont-need-it\">Research shows\u003c/a>\u003cdel>\u003c/del> many of the women choosing double mastectomy have the same diagnosis as O'Neill, not Jolie.\u003cdel>\u003c/del>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The debate over appropriate treatment for DCIS is part of an even bigger debate about what many specialists call the \"over\u003cdel>\u003c/del>diagnosis\" of cancer, especially cancers of the breast, prostate and thyroid.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This means the discovery of growths that look like cancer, but are not destined to cause the patient a problem if they go untreated.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The National Cancer Institute recently convened a group to look at overdiagnosis and overtreatment of cancer. \u003cem>JAMA\u003c/em>, the journal of the American Medical Association, last week \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2013/07/29/cutting-down-on-cancer-overdiagnosis-national-panel-weighs-in/\" target=\"_blank\">published a summary\u003c/a> of its conclusions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Overdiagnosis is a product of widespread screening programs that look for cancers before they cause symptoms, on the assumption that early treatment will invariably reduce the chance that a cancer will kill. There's growing evidence that's not necessarily true.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Routine mammography and PSA screening for prostate cancer are thought to reveal many malignancies that wouldn't show up otherwise. And many doctors worry that a federal task force's new recommendation to increase\u003ca href=\"http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/07/31/206693913/panel-urges-lung-cancer-screening-for-millions-of-americans\"> screening with CT scans to look for early lung cancer\u003c/a> will also lead to overdiagnosis.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Stepping back further, the issues of cancer over\u003cdel>\u003c/del>diagnosis and overtreatment are part of an even bigger concern about unnecessary medical care. It's a problem NPR intends to explore in coming months as part of a series we're calling \"Less Is More.\" The series will focus on situations when less treatment may actually be better for patients.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>DCIS is a touch point of the over\u003cdel>\u003c/del>diagnosis debate. Nearly 70,000 women are diagnosed with it each year. Before mammography screening, only about 3 percent of breast cancers were DCIS. Now the condition accounts for \u003ca href=\"http://www2.mdanderson.org/depts/oncolog/articles/10/1-jan/1-10-compass.html\">about a third\u003c/a> of all \"breast cancers.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The reason for those quote marks is that, while most cancer doctors view DCIS as a very early stage of breast cancer, a growing number say it really shouldn't be called \"cancer\" at all.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>DCIS is an overgrowth of cells within the lining of a woman's milk ducts. Such growths are not dangerous unless and until they break through and invade other breast tissue and ultimately spread to lymph nodes and other organs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Many of these precancerous lesions are not going to go on to become cancer,\" says Dr. Laura Esserman, a breast cancer surgeon at the UC San Francisco. \"I don't think we should label it as cancer. I think we should call it a 'ductal lesion.' I think people would be much more willing to be calm about it.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We'll come back to Esserman's ideas about how woman and their doctors should address DCIS. But first, let's go back to Sally O'Neill; her case capsulizes the dilemma.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_14087\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 300px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-14087\" title=\"\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/08/breast-cancer-300.png\" alt=\"Treatment options by women diagnosed with DCIS. Source: Laura Esserman, UC San Francisco (Chart/NPR)\" width=\"300\" height=\"165\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Treatment options by women diagnosed with DCIS. Source: Laura Esserman, UC San Francisco (Chart/NPR)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Her decision to have a double mastectomy, even though she had DCIS in only one breast, was so radical that the first surgeon she consulted refused to do it without a letter from a psychiatrist. \"His exact words were, 'You're cancer-phobic,'\" she says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So she found a different surgeon, Dr. Kevin Hughes at Massachusetts General Hospital. When it comes to treating DCIS, Hughes errs on the side of caution.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"We don't know what percent are not deadly, and we have no idea which patients do or do not have a deadly form of cancer,\" Hughes says. \"So as a surgeon I need to treat every cancer as if it might be deadly, because I don't know which ones are and which ones aren't.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hughes does not advocate removing a healthy breast that doesn't have any DCIS. But he'll do it if he thinks a woman wants it for the right reasons.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"If they want to take the opposite breast off to never experience breast cancer again, that ... is a good reason to do it,\" Hughes says. \"If they are taking their opposite breast off so they will live longer, that's not a good reason to take the opposite breast off.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This is a critical point. Many women – perhaps assuming all breast cancers are dangerous – may believe that removing the healthy breast after a diagnosis of DCIS improves their chances of survival.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But DCIS is nearly 100 percent curable. Typically, the treatment is a small operation called \u003ca href=\"http://www.breastcancer.org/treatment/surgery/lumpectomy\">lumpectomy\u003c/a>, often but not always followed by radiation to the area. (About a quarter of women with DCIS have a single mastectomy, usually because the abnormal growth occupies too great a percentage of the breast to make lumpectomy feasible.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The chance of DCIS later appearing in the opposite breast is not precisely known, but is thought to be well under 1 percent per year. And Hughes points out that if DCIS does appear in the second breast – or even if invasive cancer turns up –it would likely be highly curable, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"We normally find it at a very early, very curable stage,\" Hughes says. \"We very seldom have patients die from cancer in the opposite breast.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some say concern about survival is not the only thing that's driving some women to seek a double mastectomy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Patients may be distressed about the experience of breast cancer diagnosis and treatment and have a \"very strong aversion\" to going through it again, Seema Khan of Northwestern University writes in a \u003ca href=\"http://jco.ascopubs.org/content/29/16/2132.full.pdf\">commentary\u003c/a> in the \u003cem>Journal of Clinical Oncology\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Whatever their reasons, some patients and some doctors are pushing back against what they consider too much treatment for DCIS.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Peggy MacDonald of Portland, Ore., is one of those patients. She was stunned after she recently got a diagnosis of DCIS and discovered that all the doctors she saw thought she should have surgery to remove it – right away.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Quite honestly,\" she says, \"I just didn't like the options being presented to me. It didn't ... make sense to me.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>None of the surgeons recommended that MacDonald should remove her healthy breast, but all agreed she should have surgery. She was almost ready to give in when one of her sisters sent her an article quoting Esserman, the San Francisco breast surgeon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MacDonald made an appointment to see Esserman, and discovered a different approach.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"She said, 'OK, I've looked at your MRI, I've looked at your mammograms, I've looked at your blood tests. Here's what I will tell you – this is not an emergency and you have options,'\" MacDonald says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Esserman stresses there's no need for women to rush into surgery after a DCIS diagnosis.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"I think we all need to take a step back and not be so hysterical,\" Esserman says. \"When I see people who've been told they've got to make a decision within two weeks, that's just crazy! No one has shown a progression [from DCIS] to invasive cancer in a two-week period of time – ever.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After seeing Esserman, MacDonald decided not to have surgery, at least for now. Instead, the doctor put her on \u003ca href=\"http://www.breastcancer.org/treatment/hormonal\">hormone suppression therapy\u003c/a>. McDonald now takes a drug that blocks estrogen. Because her DCIS cells are fueled by estrogen, the hope is that once they are starved of the hormone the cells will shrink and perhaps even disappear.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MacDonald says she realizes she may end up needing surgery anyway, but if so she'll be clearer about the decision.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She's hoping her case will turn out like another of Esserman's patients, Barbara Mann. Mann took an estrogen-blocking medication as well, for six months. Today, an MRI scan and biopsy show no trace of DCIS in her breast.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"It's amazing,\" Mann says. \"It's not even a case of less-is-more. This is a case of less-is-best. I am just hugely relieved, absolutely thrilled. And what I would really like is for every other woman in my position to know this is an option.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But it's an option that will require lifelong vigilance. Anyone who chooses not to have surgery will have to be watched carefully and have routine mammograms and maybe even MRI scans and biopsies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And women who choose this alternate route must be willing to live with the risk, however tiny, that DCIS might return, and might turn into invasive cancer.\u003c/p>\n\n",
"disqusIdentifier": "14082 http://blogs.kqed.org/stateofhealth/?p=14082",
"disqusUrl": "https://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2013/08/05/when-treating-stage-zero-breast-cancer-can-less-be-more/",
"stats": {
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"hasAudio": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"wordCount": 1713,
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"paragraphCount": 46
},
"modified": 1375758538,
"excerpt": "DCIS is a touch point of the overdiagnosis debate. Nearly 70,000 women are diagnosed with it each year. Before mammography screening, only about 3 percent of breast cancers were DCIS. Now the condition accounts for about a third of all \"breast cancers.\"\r\n\r\nThe reason for those quote marks is that, while most cancer doctors view DCIS as a very early stage of breast cancer, a growing number say it really shouldn't be called \"cancer\" at all.",
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": "DCIS is a touch point of the overdiagnosis debate. Nearly 70,000 women are diagnosed with it each year. Before mammography screening, only about 3 percent of breast cancers were DCIS. Now the condition accounts for about a third of all "breast cancers."\r\n\r\nThe reason for those quote marks is that, while most cancer doctors view DCIS as a very early stage of breast cancer, a growing number say it really shouldn't be called "cancer" at all.",
"title": "When Treating ‘Stage Zero Breast Cancer,’ Can Less Be More? | KQED",
"ogDescription": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "When Treating ‘Stage Zero Breast Cancer,’ Can Less Be More? ",
"datePublished": "2013-08-05T09:40:44-07:00",
"dateModified": "2013-08-05T20:08:58-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "when-treating-stage-zero-breast-cancer-can-less-be-more",
"status": "publish",
"path": "/stateofhealth/14082/when-treating-stage-zero-breast-cancer-can-less-be-more",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>By Patti Neighmond and Richard Knox, \u003ca href=\"http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/08/05/208239545/when-treating-abnormal-breast-cells-sometimes-less-is-more\" target=\"_blank\">NPR\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_14089\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 620px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-large wp-image-14089\" title=\"\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/08/tonigreaves_npr-peggymacdonald-0068-3000_custom-b670792b14b188500fd97e8ce18ac89bef6425bb-s40-620x412.jpg\" alt=\"Peggy MacDonald of Portland, Ore., chose not to have surgery for DCIS.\" width=\"620\" height=\"412\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Peggy MacDonald of Portland, Ore., chose not to have surgery for DCIS.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When Sally O'Neill's doctor told her she had an early form of cancer in one of her breasts, she didn't agonize about what she wanted to.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The 42-year-old mother of two young girls wanted a double mastectomy.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"pullquote alignleft\">In many cases it doesn't ever progress to invasive cancer, the type that can be life-threatening.\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>\"I decided at that moment that I wanted them both taken off,\" says O'Neill, who lives in a suburb of Boston. \"There wasn't a real lot of thought process to it. I always thought, 'If this happens to me, this is what I'm going to do.' Because I'm not taking any chances. I want the best possible outcome. I don't want to do a wait-and-see.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Today, 10 years later, O'Neill has no regrets about what most people would consider a radical decision. And as it turns out, she was at the leading edge of a \u003ca href=\"http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2012/11/28/166064484/more-women-choose-double-mastectomy-but-study-says-many-dont-need-it\">trend\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>O'Neill had \u003ca href=\"http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/breast/healthprofessional/page4\">ductal carcinoma in situ, or DCIS\u003c/a>. The number of women who get double mastectomies because of DCIS is small – around one in 16 women (see accompanying chart). But the rate has doubled in the past 10 years.\u003c!--more-->\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>DCIS is an abnormality that most specialists call \"stage zero\" breast cancer – on a scale of 1 to 4. In many cases it doesn't ever progress to invasive cancer, the type that can be life-threatening.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These women are in a very different position than actress Angelina Jolie,who recently chose to have a double mastectomy. She has a gene mutation that gives her a very high risk of breast cancer. \u003ca href=\"http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2012/11/28/166064484/more-women-choose-double-mastectomy-but-study-says-many-dont-need-it\">Research shows\u003c/a>\u003cdel>\u003c/del> many of the women choosing double mastectomy have the same diagnosis as O'Neill, not Jolie.\u003cdel>\u003c/del>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The debate over appropriate treatment for DCIS is part of an even bigger debate about what many specialists call the \"over\u003cdel>\u003c/del>diagnosis\" of cancer, especially cancers of the breast, prostate and thyroid.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This means the discovery of growths that look like cancer, but are not destined to cause the patient a problem if they go untreated.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The National Cancer Institute recently convened a group to look at overdiagnosis and overtreatment of cancer. \u003cem>JAMA\u003c/em>, the journal of the American Medical Association, last week \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2013/07/29/cutting-down-on-cancer-overdiagnosis-national-panel-weighs-in/\" target=\"_blank\">published a summary\u003c/a> of its conclusions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Overdiagnosis is a product of widespread screening programs that look for cancers before they cause symptoms, on the assumption that early treatment will invariably reduce the chance that a cancer will kill. There's growing evidence that's not necessarily true.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Routine mammography and PSA screening for prostate cancer are thought to reveal many malignancies that wouldn't show up otherwise. And many doctors worry that a federal task force's new recommendation to increase\u003ca href=\"http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/07/31/206693913/panel-urges-lung-cancer-screening-for-millions-of-americans\"> screening with CT scans to look for early lung cancer\u003c/a> will also lead to overdiagnosis.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Stepping back further, the issues of cancer over\u003cdel>\u003c/del>diagnosis and overtreatment are part of an even bigger concern about unnecessary medical care. It's a problem NPR intends to explore in coming months as part of a series we're calling \"Less Is More.\" The series will focus on situations when less treatment may actually be better for patients.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>DCIS is a touch point of the over\u003cdel>\u003c/del>diagnosis debate. Nearly 70,000 women are diagnosed with it each year. Before mammography screening, only about 3 percent of breast cancers were DCIS. Now the condition accounts for \u003ca href=\"http://www2.mdanderson.org/depts/oncolog/articles/10/1-jan/1-10-compass.html\">about a third\u003c/a> of all \"breast cancers.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The reason for those quote marks is that, while most cancer doctors view DCIS as a very early stage of breast cancer, a growing number say it really shouldn't be called \"cancer\" at all.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>DCIS is an overgrowth of cells within the lining of a woman's milk ducts. Such growths are not dangerous unless and until they break through and invade other breast tissue and ultimately spread to lymph nodes and other organs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Many of these precancerous lesions are not going to go on to become cancer,\" says Dr. Laura Esserman, a breast cancer surgeon at the UC San Francisco. \"I don't think we should label it as cancer. I think we should call it a 'ductal lesion.' I think people would be much more willing to be calm about it.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We'll come back to Esserman's ideas about how woman and their doctors should address DCIS. But first, let's go back to Sally O'Neill; her case capsulizes the dilemma.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_14087\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 300px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-14087\" title=\"\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/08/breast-cancer-300.png\" alt=\"Treatment options by women diagnosed with DCIS. Source: Laura Esserman, UC San Francisco (Chart/NPR)\" width=\"300\" height=\"165\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Treatment options by women diagnosed with DCIS. Source: Laura Esserman, UC San Francisco (Chart/NPR)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Her decision to have a double mastectomy, even though she had DCIS in only one breast, was so radical that the first surgeon she consulted refused to do it without a letter from a psychiatrist. \"His exact words were, 'You're cancer-phobic,'\" she says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So she found a different surgeon, Dr. Kevin Hughes at Massachusetts General Hospital. When it comes to treating DCIS, Hughes errs on the side of caution.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"We don't know what percent are not deadly, and we have no idea which patients do or do not have a deadly form of cancer,\" Hughes says. \"So as a surgeon I need to treat every cancer as if it might be deadly, because I don't know which ones are and which ones aren't.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hughes does not advocate removing a healthy breast that doesn't have any DCIS. But he'll do it if he thinks a woman wants it for the right reasons.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"If they want to take the opposite breast off to never experience breast cancer again, that ... is a good reason to do it,\" Hughes says. \"If they are taking their opposite breast off so they will live longer, that's not a good reason to take the opposite breast off.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This is a critical point. Many women – perhaps assuming all breast cancers are dangerous – may believe that removing the healthy breast after a diagnosis of DCIS improves their chances of survival.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But DCIS is nearly 100 percent curable. Typically, the treatment is a small operation called \u003ca href=\"http://www.breastcancer.org/treatment/surgery/lumpectomy\">lumpectomy\u003c/a>, often but not always followed by radiation to the area. (About a quarter of women with DCIS have a single mastectomy, usually because the abnormal growth occupies too great a percentage of the breast to make lumpectomy feasible.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The chance of DCIS later appearing in the opposite breast is not precisely known, but is thought to be well under 1 percent per year. And Hughes points out that if DCIS does appear in the second breast – or even if invasive cancer turns up –it would likely be highly curable, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"We normally find it at a very early, very curable stage,\" Hughes says. \"We very seldom have patients die from cancer in the opposite breast.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some say concern about survival is not the only thing that's driving some women to seek a double mastectomy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Patients may be distressed about the experience of breast cancer diagnosis and treatment and have a \"very strong aversion\" to going through it again, Seema Khan of Northwestern University writes in a \u003ca href=\"http://jco.ascopubs.org/content/29/16/2132.full.pdf\">commentary\u003c/a> in the \u003cem>Journal of Clinical Oncology\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Whatever their reasons, some patients and some doctors are pushing back against what they consider too much treatment for DCIS.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Peggy MacDonald of Portland, Ore., is one of those patients. She was stunned after she recently got a diagnosis of DCIS and discovered that all the doctors she saw thought she should have surgery to remove it – right away.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Quite honestly,\" she says, \"I just didn't like the options being presented to me. It didn't ... make sense to me.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>None of the surgeons recommended that MacDonald should remove her healthy breast, but all agreed she should have surgery. She was almost ready to give in when one of her sisters sent her an article quoting Esserman, the San Francisco breast surgeon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MacDonald made an appointment to see Esserman, and discovered a different approach.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"She said, 'OK, I've looked at your MRI, I've looked at your mammograms, I've looked at your blood tests. Here's what I will tell you – this is not an emergency and you have options,'\" MacDonald says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Esserman stresses there's no need for women to rush into surgery after a DCIS diagnosis.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"I think we all need to take a step back and not be so hysterical,\" Esserman says. \"When I see people who've been told they've got to make a decision within two weeks, that's just crazy! No one has shown a progression [from DCIS] to invasive cancer in a two-week period of time – ever.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After seeing Esserman, MacDonald decided not to have surgery, at least for now. Instead, the doctor put her on \u003ca href=\"http://www.breastcancer.org/treatment/hormonal\">hormone suppression therapy\u003c/a>. McDonald now takes a drug that blocks estrogen. Because her DCIS cells are fueled by estrogen, the hope is that once they are starved of the hormone the cells will shrink and perhaps even disappear.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>MacDonald says she realizes she may end up needing surgery anyway, but if so she'll be clearer about the decision.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She's hoping her case will turn out like another of Esserman's patients, Barbara Mann. Mann took an estrogen-blocking medication as well, for six months. Today, an MRI scan and biopsy show no trace of DCIS in her breast.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"It's amazing,\" Mann says. \"It's not even a case of less-is-more. This is a case of less-is-best. I am just hugely relieved, absolutely thrilled. And what I would really like is for every other woman in my position to know this is an option.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But it's an option that will require lifelong vigilance. Anyone who chooses not to have surgery will have to be watched carefully and have routine mammograms and maybe even MRI scans and biopsies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And women who choose this alternate route must be willing to live with the risk, however tiny, that DCIS might return, and might turn into invasive cancer.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/stateofhealth/14082/when-treating-stage-zero-breast-cancer-can-less-be-more",
"authors": [
"8344"
],
"categories": [
"stateofhealth_13"
],
"tags": [
"stateofhealth_46",
"stateofhealth_235",
"stateofhealth_461"
],
"featImg": "stateofhealth_14089",
"label": "stateofhealth"
},
"stateofhealth_13985": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "stateofhealth_13985",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "stateofhealth",
"id": "13985",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1375308181000
]
},
"parent": 0,
"labelTerm": {
"site": "stateofhealth"
},
"blocks": [],
"publishDate": 1375308181,
"format": "aside",
"disqusTitle": "Would You Get A Test Now That Confirmed a Fatal Illness Later?",
"title": "Would You Get A Test Now That Confirmed a Fatal Illness Later?",
"headTitle": "State of Health | KQED News",
"content": "\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_14009\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 620px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-large wp-image-14009\" title=\"\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/07/Screen-Shot-2013-07-31-at-3.03.36-PM-620x415.png\" alt=\"A young Kristen Powers is held by her mother, Nicola, while her father looks on in the background. Nicola was later diagnosed with Huntington’s disease, a fatal illness. (Photo courtesy of Kristen Powers)\" width=\"620\" height=\"415\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A young Kristen Powers is held by her mother, Nicola, while her father looks on in the background. Nicola was later diagnosed with Huntington’s disease, a fatal illness. (Photo courtesy of Kristen Powers)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>By Ravali Reddy\u003c/strong>, \u003ca href=\"http://peninsulapress.com/2013/07/15/kristens-story-student-filmmaker-documents-a-life-forever-altered-by-genetics/\" target=\"_blank\">Peninsula Press\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you had a 50-50 chance of inheriting a genetic disease, would you get tested to know? Or would you wait for fate to reveal itself years later?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Would your decision change if you knew the disease slowly takes away the ability to walk, talk, and even think?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What if there were no cure?\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"pullquote alignleft\">\"I’ve always wanted to travel, and I knew that that was something I’d have to do earlier if I tested positive.”\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>Kristen Powers posed those questions aloud and then let them hang in the air as she spoke to a dozen middle and high school students. The slender, 19-year-old Stanford University freshman was taking part in a program where undergraduates teach classes on topics of their choosing. Today’s class — “To Test or Not to Test? The Ethics Behind Genetically Inherited disease” — covers a subject that Kristen knows far too much about.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“How many of you know what Huntington’s disease is?” she asked, only to find herself met with a mostly blank faces.\u003c!--more-->\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The response wasn’t surprising considering that the disease is uncommon, affecting about 1 in 10,000 people of European ancestry. She pointed at one of the few raised hands. “It’s a disease where your brain cells die, and you start to lose control of your body, and then you die,” said a ninth-grade girl. Kristen paused and nodded. After all, the girl was more or less correct.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Huntington’s disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative genetic disorder that, as it progresses, affects the ability to think, move and feel. Most patients begin to show symptoms between the ages of 30 and 50 and typically succumb to the disease 10 to 25 years after the first symptoms appear.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Each child of a person with HD has a 50-50 chance of inheriting the gene, making this a devastating family disease.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My mum passed away from Huntington’s in 2011, when she was 45,” Kristen continued, quickly capturing the attention of her audience. The implications were clear to all in the room.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The rapt audience listened as Kristen described herself as \"information-needy,\" so when she turned 18, she decided to get tested for the gene.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I knew I had to get tested because, if I had HD, I’d have to adjust my timeline for my life,\" Kristen said. \"I’ve always wanted to travel, and I knew that that was something I’d have to do earlier if I tested positive.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The 9\u003csup>th\u003c/sup>-grader who had defined HD was now on the edge of her seat, eyes wide open. She looked terrified that her flippant response was predictive of Kristen’s fate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“So last year I got tested, and I’m happy to say that I tested negative.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And just like that, the tension in the room lifted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Life after Testing\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kristen’s negative test result means she will never develop the disease that claimed her mother’s life, and she has no chance of passing it on if she has children.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s actually really weird knowing that I’m never going to get Huntington’s,” Kristen said in a recent interview, “because up until I tested I always assumed that I would die of HD, and it was scary but at least that was certain. As soon as I tested negative I feel like my whole life changed because, all of a sudden, I had no idea what I was going to die of anymore.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She laughed and continued, “I remember being really surprised and thinking ‘Wow, this is what normal people feel like!’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, Huntington’s Disease remains a prominent part of Kristen’s life. She has devoted herself to raising awareness of the disease and doing what she can to help find a cure. She's a student researcher in a Huntington's project at Stanford and volunteers for the Huntington's Disease Society of America. Perhaps most importantly, she's making a documentary about her genetic testing process.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13999\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 300px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-medium wp-image-13999\" title=\"\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/07/133988_323296711101848_1189163778_o-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"Kristen Powers, second from left, with her freshman-year roommates at Stanford. (Courtesy: Kristen Powers)\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kristen Powers, second from left, with her freshman-year roommates at Stanford. (Courtesy: Kristen Powers)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>She says documentaries like \"An Inconvenient Truth\" and \"Food, Inc\" inspired her as a \"cool way to raise awareness.\" She started thinking about producing a documentary as she approached her 18\u003csup>th\u003c/sup> birthday and was considering getting tested. Already she's raised $30,000. She's hired a film crew and editor, and works with them in between attending classes and hanging out with her Stanford roommates.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“School comes first,” she said with a smile. “I’m still trying to pick a major and figure all of that out, very normal college kid stuff.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Picking up the Camera – Before the Documentary\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kristen was 7, living in Massachusetts, when her parents divorced and she moved in with her mother. It wasn’t long before Kristen started to notice symptoms of her mother’s disease. “I remember her walking around like she was drunk, but that was before we knew what was wrong with her.\" Kristen now says she can see that her mother had been showing signs of HD for a long time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Her mother, Nicola Powers, wasn’t diagnosed with Huntington’s until two years later. Within months, her mother’s disease progressed rapidly. Kristen and her younger brother moved in with their dad. Her mother went to live first with her own parents, but soon was placed in a nursing home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was during this time that Kristen first brought out her video camera.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I used to sneak the camera into the nursing home and secretly videotape her,” Kristen said. “My grandma wasn’t a fan of it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Her goal was simply to have footage to remember her mother, even if she was so ill. “It was incredibly weird to film,” she recalled. “I wasn’t sure what my mum was thinking of me secretly recording her. She couldn’t speak to tell me if it was weird.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, the footage serves as more than remembrance, as much of it has ended up in the documentary. She believes the film, when completed, will help explain and show the effects of Huntington’s Disease.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m incredibly glad I did it,” Kristen said. “Families with terminally ill members should not be afraid to record memories with their loved ones.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>A Family Still At Risk\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It is unsurprising that Kristen has continued to dedicate so much of her life to Huntington’s. Her 17-year-old brother, Nate, also has a 50-50 chance of having the gene.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nate, a junior in high school, becomes eligible for genetic testing in March.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite initial hesitations, Nate is now strongly leaning towards getting tested. He said the test results would influence how he approaches certain aspects of his life, such as future relationships.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I wouldn’t have kids if I tested positive,” he said. “I just know that’s something I wouldn’t want to do because then I might pass [the gene] on.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kristen says she is supportive of whatever decision Nate makes about testing, and in the meantime is keeping busy with school and her documentary.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I still remember the genetic counselor coming in, and sitting down and saying ‘We have good news for you today,’” she said, smiling. “I heard that, and my dad started crying and I couldn’t really process anything. It was just an ‘Oh my god!” sort of moment, and, for now, I’m just going to hope that my family has that moment again.”\u003c/p>\n\n",
"disqusIdentifier": "13985 http://blogs.kqed.org/stateofhealth/?p=13985",
"disqusUrl": "https://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2013/07/31/would-you-get-a-test-now-that-confirmed-a-fatal-illness-later/",
"stats": {
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"hasAudio": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"wordCount": 1384,
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"paragraphCount": 39
},
"modified": 1375384601,
"excerpt": "If you had a 50-50 chance of inheriting a genetic disease, would you get tested to know? Or would you wait for fate to reveal itself years later?\r\n\r\nWould your decision change if you knew the disease slowly takes away the ability to walk, talk, and even think?\r\n\r\nWhat if there was no cure?\r\n\r\nKristen Powers posed those questions aloud and then let them hang in the air as she spoke to a dozen middle and high school students.",
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": "If you had a 50-50 chance of inheriting a genetic disease, would you get tested to know? Or would you wait for fate to reveal itself years later?\r\n\r\nWould your decision change if you knew the disease slowly takes away the ability to walk, talk, and even think?\r\n\r\nWhat if there was no cure?\r\n\r\nKristen Powers posed those questions aloud and then let them hang in the air as she spoke to a dozen middle and high school students.",
"title": "Would You Get A Test Now That Confirmed a Fatal Illness Later? | KQED",
"ogDescription": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "Would You Get A Test Now That Confirmed a Fatal Illness Later?",
"datePublished": "2013-07-31T15:03:01-07:00",
"dateModified": "2013-08-01T12:16:41-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "would-you-get-a-test-now-that-confirmed-a-fatal-illness-later",
"status": "publish",
"path": "/stateofhealth/13985/would-you-get-a-test-now-that-confirmed-a-fatal-illness-later",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_14009\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 620px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-large wp-image-14009\" title=\"\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/07/Screen-Shot-2013-07-31-at-3.03.36-PM-620x415.png\" alt=\"A young Kristen Powers is held by her mother, Nicola, while her father looks on in the background. Nicola was later diagnosed with Huntington’s disease, a fatal illness. (Photo courtesy of Kristen Powers)\" width=\"620\" height=\"415\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A young Kristen Powers is held by her mother, Nicola, while her father looks on in the background. Nicola was later diagnosed with Huntington’s disease, a fatal illness. (Photo courtesy of Kristen Powers)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>By Ravali Reddy\u003c/strong>, \u003ca href=\"http://peninsulapress.com/2013/07/15/kristens-story-student-filmmaker-documents-a-life-forever-altered-by-genetics/\" target=\"_blank\">Peninsula Press\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you had a 50-50 chance of inheriting a genetic disease, would you get tested to know? Or would you wait for fate to reveal itself years later?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Would your decision change if you knew the disease slowly takes away the ability to walk, talk, and even think?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What if there were no cure?\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"pullquote alignleft\">\"I’ve always wanted to travel, and I knew that that was something I’d have to do earlier if I tested positive.”\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>Kristen Powers posed those questions aloud and then let them hang in the air as she spoke to a dozen middle and high school students. The slender, 19-year-old Stanford University freshman was taking part in a program where undergraduates teach classes on topics of their choosing. Today’s class — “To Test or Not to Test? The Ethics Behind Genetically Inherited disease” — covers a subject that Kristen knows far too much about.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“How many of you know what Huntington’s disease is?” she asked, only to find herself met with a mostly blank faces.\u003c!--more-->\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The response wasn’t surprising considering that the disease is uncommon, affecting about 1 in 10,000 people of European ancestry. She pointed at one of the few raised hands. “It’s a disease where your brain cells die, and you start to lose control of your body, and then you die,” said a ninth-grade girl. Kristen paused and nodded. After all, the girl was more or less correct.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Huntington’s disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative genetic disorder that, as it progresses, affects the ability to think, move and feel. Most patients begin to show symptoms between the ages of 30 and 50 and typically succumb to the disease 10 to 25 years after the first symptoms appear.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Each child of a person with HD has a 50-50 chance of inheriting the gene, making this a devastating family disease.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My mum passed away from Huntington’s in 2011, when she was 45,” Kristen continued, quickly capturing the attention of her audience. The implications were clear to all in the room.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The rapt audience listened as Kristen described herself as \"information-needy,\" so when she turned 18, she decided to get tested for the gene.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I knew I had to get tested because, if I had HD, I’d have to adjust my timeline for my life,\" Kristen said. \"I’ve always wanted to travel, and I knew that that was something I’d have to do earlier if I tested positive.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The 9\u003csup>th\u003c/sup>-grader who had defined HD was now on the edge of her seat, eyes wide open. She looked terrified that her flippant response was predictive of Kristen’s fate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“So last year I got tested, and I’m happy to say that I tested negative.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And just like that, the tension in the room lifted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Life after Testing\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kristen’s negative test result means she will never develop the disease that claimed her mother’s life, and she has no chance of passing it on if she has children.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s actually really weird knowing that I’m never going to get Huntington’s,” Kristen said in a recent interview, “because up until I tested I always assumed that I would die of HD, and it was scary but at least that was certain. As soon as I tested negative I feel like my whole life changed because, all of a sudden, I had no idea what I was going to die of anymore.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She laughed and continued, “I remember being really surprised and thinking ‘Wow, this is what normal people feel like!’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, Huntington’s Disease remains a prominent part of Kristen’s life. She has devoted herself to raising awareness of the disease and doing what she can to help find a cure. She's a student researcher in a Huntington's project at Stanford and volunteers for the Huntington's Disease Society of America. Perhaps most importantly, she's making a documentary about her genetic testing process.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13999\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 300px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-medium wp-image-13999\" title=\"\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/07/133988_323296711101848_1189163778_o-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"Kristen Powers, second from left, with her freshman-year roommates at Stanford. (Courtesy: Kristen Powers)\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kristen Powers, second from left, with her freshman-year roommates at Stanford. (Courtesy: Kristen Powers)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>She says documentaries like \"An Inconvenient Truth\" and \"Food, Inc\" inspired her as a \"cool way to raise awareness.\" She started thinking about producing a documentary as she approached her 18\u003csup>th\u003c/sup> birthday and was considering getting tested. Already she's raised $30,000. She's hired a film crew and editor, and works with them in between attending classes and hanging out with her Stanford roommates.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“School comes first,” she said with a smile. “I’m still trying to pick a major and figure all of that out, very normal college kid stuff.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Picking up the Camera – Before the Documentary\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kristen was 7, living in Massachusetts, when her parents divorced and she moved in with her mother. It wasn’t long before Kristen started to notice symptoms of her mother’s disease. “I remember her walking around like she was drunk, but that was before we knew what was wrong with her.\" Kristen now says she can see that her mother had been showing signs of HD for a long time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Her mother, Nicola Powers, wasn’t diagnosed with Huntington’s until two years later. Within months, her mother’s disease progressed rapidly. Kristen and her younger brother moved in with their dad. Her mother went to live first with her own parents, but soon was placed in a nursing home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was during this time that Kristen first brought out her video camera.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I used to sneak the camera into the nursing home and secretly videotape her,” Kristen said. “My grandma wasn’t a fan of it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Her goal was simply to have footage to remember her mother, even if she was so ill. “It was incredibly weird to film,” she recalled. “I wasn’t sure what my mum was thinking of me secretly recording her. She couldn’t speak to tell me if it was weird.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, the footage serves as more than remembrance, as much of it has ended up in the documentary. She believes the film, when completed, will help explain and show the effects of Huntington’s Disease.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m incredibly glad I did it,” Kristen said. “Families with terminally ill members should not be afraid to record memories with their loved ones.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>A Family Still At Risk\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It is unsurprising that Kristen has continued to dedicate so much of her life to Huntington’s. Her 17-year-old brother, Nate, also has a 50-50 chance of having the gene.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nate, a junior in high school, becomes eligible for genetic testing in March.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite initial hesitations, Nate is now strongly leaning towards getting tested. He said the test results would influence how he approaches certain aspects of his life, such as future relationships.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I wouldn’t have kids if I tested positive,” he said. “I just know that’s something I wouldn’t want to do because then I might pass [the gene] on.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kristen says she is supportive of whatever decision Nate makes about testing, and in the meantime is keeping busy with school and her documentary.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I still remember the genetic counselor coming in, and sitting down and saying ‘We have good news for you today,’” she said, smiling. “I heard that, and my dad started crying and I couldn’t really process anything. It was just an ‘Oh my god!” sort of moment, and, for now, I’m just going to hope that my family has that moment again.”\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/stateofhealth/13985/would-you-get-a-test-now-that-confirmed-a-fatal-illness-later",
"authors": [
"8344"
],
"categories": [
"stateofhealth_13"
],
"tags": [
"stateofhealth_461"
],
"featImg": "stateofhealth_14009",
"label": "stateofhealth"
},
"stateofhealth_13900": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "stateofhealth_13900",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "stateofhealth",
"id": "13900",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1375120196000
]
},
"parent": 0,
"labelTerm": {
"site": "stateofhealth"
},
"blocks": [],
"publishDate": 1375120196,
"format": "aside",
"disqusTitle": "Cutting Down on Cancer Overdiagnosis: National Panel Weighs In",
"title": "Cutting Down on Cancer Overdiagnosis: National Panel Weighs In",
"headTitle": "State of Health | KQED News",
"content": "\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13901\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 300px\">\u003ca href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/78147607@N00/5436471236/in/photolist-9hpkuG-9xNuXm-9xKwS6-9xNuGy-9xKwK2-9xNuPm-9xKwFa-9xNuTL-dRanE5-4uDMsi-dRbiVo\">\u003cimg class=\"size-medium wp-image-13901\" title=\"\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/07/5436471236_a64b2a0245_b-300x299.jpg\" alt='Ductal carcinoma in situ seen under a microscope. While doctors also call it Stage 0 Breast Cancer, in an article Monday, doctors argue it should no longer be labelled \"cancer.\" (Ed Euthman/Flickr)' width=\"300\" height=\"299\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ductal carcinoma in situ as seen under a microscope. Doctors also call D.C.I.S. \"Stage 0 Breast Cancer.\" But in an article Monday, a panel of national scientists argue it should no longer be labelled \"cancer.\" (Ed Euthman/Flickr)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>What power does a word have? If the word is “cancer,” for most people it packs a wallop of emotion ranging from general anxiety to abject terror. For the last 30 years, a large industry has grown and developed with a focus on awareness and screening. The goals were laudable: get screened; catch cancer early; early diagnosis means patients dodge a death sentence.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There’s just one problem. It’s not working. This notion of screening was dependent upon the understanding of cancer 30 years ago: that cancer started from a tiny seed and steadily grew and spread until – without treatment – it killed the patient.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But today scientists know that not all cancers behave this way. Some are fast-growing, some may grow slowly, but progressively. But others are “indolent,” so slow-growing, they will never cause the patient harm.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So what certain cancer screening tests have wrought (think \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2013/04/26/berkeley-journalist-takes-on-the-feel-good-war-on-breast-cancer/\">mammography\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/jp/quick-read-stop-doing-the-psa-test-now/\">PSA tests\u003c/a>) is a dramatic increase in diagnosis of early-stage disease without a corresponding decline in death rates from cancer or diagnosis of late-stage disease. Many of these early stage patients are likely \"overdiagnosed\" and then \"overtreated\" -- for cancers that may never have grown and spread.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"pullquote alignright\">“We terrify (women) with D.C.I.S. thinking they have cancer. We could wait six months to see if something changes without making people hysterical.”\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>Against this backdrop, the National Cancer Institute called together a group of nationally recognized cancer doctors and researchers to review the evidence on overdiagnosis. In a \u003ca href=\"http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1722196\" target=\"_blank\">Viewpoint\u003c/a> published Monday in JAMA, the panel calls for major changes in the way the medical world classifies and thinks of “cancer” and the way screening programs are designed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This article is really critical for laying the ground work for introducing what I hope will be groundbreaking changes in screening and prevention,” said lead author Dr. Laura Esserman, director of the breast care center at UC San Francisco.\u003c!--more-->\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Esserman and her colleagues say the improved understanding of the behavior of various cancers provides an opportunity “to refocus screening on reducing disease mortality and lower the burden of cancer screening and treatments.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Reserve the word “cancer” for cancers\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For starters, the writers encourage saving the word “cancer” for those tumors with a “reasonable likelihood of lethal progression if left untreated.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They call for dropping the word \"cancer\" from pre-cancerous conditions. The panel calls out two conditions specifically: prostatic intraephithelial neoplasia, currently classified as prostate cancer and D.C.I.S. -- ductal carcinoma in situ -- currently classified as breast cancer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We terrify (women) with D.C.I.S. thinking they have cancer,” Esserman says, adding that in many cases, “We could wait six months to see if something changes without making people hysterical.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The panel also calls for the development of highly specialized diagnostic tests to identify these low risk tumors. Many \u003ca href=\"http://www.oncotypedx.com\">biotech companies\u003c/a> are already at work on these kinds of molecular diagnostic tools. It's part of the personalized medicine approach to treatment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\"We need a 21st century definition of cancer\"\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dr. Otis Brawley, chief medical office of the American Cancer Society, said he was “largely in agreement” with the panel’s recommendations. In our call, he gave me a short biology lesson on medical science’s understanding of cancer, explaining that back in the 1840s Rudolf Virchow, a German pathologist, used an early microscope and identified cancer cells. Virchow then drew pictures that “profile what we use 160 years later” to diagnose cancer, Brawley says. He explained what while many other areas of medicine have advanced, our definitions of cancer still rely on what Virchow defined 160 years ago. (If you're as startled by this news as I was, check out Brawley’s \u003ca href=\"http://www.tedmed.com/talks/show?id=7295\">TedMed Talk\u003c/a>.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Brawley credited a colleague who likened the way doctors classify cancers today to “’racial profiling’ -- something that 160 years ago looked like it would kill you.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We need a 21\u003csup>st\u003c/sup> century definition of cancer,” Brawley said. “It is my belief that papers like this are going to motivate people” to address problems in classifying cancers. The easiest way to get around the problem, he said -- in reference to ductal carcinoma in situ in particular -- is to “remove the word carcinoma.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite Esserman's desire to avoid what she called the \"rancorous debate\" that's been going on around cancer screening and detection, that debate is likely to continue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dr. Larry Norton, director of the breast center at New York's Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center \u003ca href=\"http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/07/29/report-suggests-sweeping-changes-to-cancer-detection-and-treatment/?emc=eta1&_r=1\" target=\"_blank\">told the New York Times\u003c/a> that simply changing names doesn't solve the bigger problem that the technology isn't there yet to prove which cases of D.C.I.S. will grow and which ones won't. “I wish we knew that. We don’t have very accurate ways of looking at tissue and looking at tumors under the microscope and knowing with great certainty that it is a slow-growing cancer,” he told the Times.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Next steps\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Writer and journalist Shannon Brownlee who literally \u003ca href=\"http://www.tedmed.com/talks/show?id=7295\">wrote the book\u003c/a> on overtreatment said she was “delighted” by the Viewpoint. She believes the next step is for medical groups such as the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists to rethink their own guidelines on screening and treatment. By moving beyond a belief that screening is the best way to attack cancer, she says, the recommendations “free us up intellectually to reduce deaths from cancer.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Viewpoint writers call for an effort across medical disciplines, including pathology, surgery, imaging as well as advocates “to revise the taxonomy of lesions now called cancer.” They also call for the creations of \"observational registries\" to generate data so patients with conditions that are unlikely to become cancer can confidently select less invasive treatment options.\u003c/p>\n\n",
"disqusIdentifier": "13900 http://blogs.kqed.org/stateofhealth/?p=13900",
"disqusUrl": "https://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2013/07/29/cutting-down-on-cancer-overdiagnosis-national-panel-weighs-in/",
"stats": {
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"hasAudio": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"wordCount": 1054,
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"paragraphCount": 23
},
"modified": 1375203852,
"excerpt": "What power does a word have? If the word is “cancer,” for most people it packs a wallop of emotion ranging from anxiety to abject terror. For the last 30 years, a large industry has grown and developed with a focus on awareness and screening. The goals were laudable: get screened; catch cancer early; it won’t be a death sentence.\r\n\r\nThere’s just one problem. It’s not working. This notion of screening was dependent upon the understanding of cancer 30 years ago: that cancer started from a tiny seed and steadily grew and spread until – without treatment – it killed the patient.",
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": "What power does a word have? If the word is “cancer,” for most people it packs a wallop of emotion ranging from anxiety to abject terror. For the last 30 years, a large industry has grown and developed with a focus on awareness and screening. The goals were laudable: get screened; catch cancer early; it won’t be a death sentence.\r\n\r\nThere’s just one problem. It’s not working. This notion of screening was dependent upon the understanding of cancer 30 years ago: that cancer started from a tiny seed and steadily grew and spread until – without treatment – it killed the patient.",
"title": "Cutting Down on Cancer Overdiagnosis: National Panel Weighs In | KQED",
"ogDescription": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "Cutting Down on Cancer Overdiagnosis: National Panel Weighs In",
"datePublished": "2013-07-29T10:49:56-07:00",
"dateModified": "2013-07-30T10:04:12-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "cutting-down-on-cancer-overdiagnosis-national-panel-weighs-in",
"status": "publish",
"path": "/stateofhealth/13900/cutting-down-on-cancer-overdiagnosis-national-panel-weighs-in",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13901\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 300px\">\u003ca href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/78147607@N00/5436471236/in/photolist-9hpkuG-9xNuXm-9xKwS6-9xNuGy-9xKwK2-9xNuPm-9xKwFa-9xNuTL-dRanE5-4uDMsi-dRbiVo\">\u003cimg class=\"size-medium wp-image-13901\" title=\"\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/07/5436471236_a64b2a0245_b-300x299.jpg\" alt='Ductal carcinoma in situ seen under a microscope. While doctors also call it Stage 0 Breast Cancer, in an article Monday, doctors argue it should no longer be labelled \"cancer.\" (Ed Euthman/Flickr)' width=\"300\" height=\"299\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ductal carcinoma in situ as seen under a microscope. Doctors also call D.C.I.S. \"Stage 0 Breast Cancer.\" But in an article Monday, a panel of national scientists argue it should no longer be labelled \"cancer.\" (Ed Euthman/Flickr)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>What power does a word have? If the word is “cancer,” for most people it packs a wallop of emotion ranging from general anxiety to abject terror. For the last 30 years, a large industry has grown and developed with a focus on awareness and screening. The goals were laudable: get screened; catch cancer early; early diagnosis means patients dodge a death sentence.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There’s just one problem. It’s not working. This notion of screening was dependent upon the understanding of cancer 30 years ago: that cancer started from a tiny seed and steadily grew and spread until – without treatment – it killed the patient.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But today scientists know that not all cancers behave this way. Some are fast-growing, some may grow slowly, but progressively. But others are “indolent,” so slow-growing, they will never cause the patient harm.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So what certain cancer screening tests have wrought (think \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2013/04/26/berkeley-journalist-takes-on-the-feel-good-war-on-breast-cancer/\">mammography\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/jp/quick-read-stop-doing-the-psa-test-now/\">PSA tests\u003c/a>) is a dramatic increase in diagnosis of early-stage disease without a corresponding decline in death rates from cancer or diagnosis of late-stage disease. Many of these early stage patients are likely \"overdiagnosed\" and then \"overtreated\" -- for cancers that may never have grown and spread.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"pullquote alignright\">“We terrify (women) with D.C.I.S. thinking they have cancer. We could wait six months to see if something changes without making people hysterical.”\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>Against this backdrop, the National Cancer Institute called together a group of nationally recognized cancer doctors and researchers to review the evidence on overdiagnosis. In a \u003ca href=\"http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1722196\" target=\"_blank\">Viewpoint\u003c/a> published Monday in JAMA, the panel calls for major changes in the way the medical world classifies and thinks of “cancer” and the way screening programs are designed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This article is really critical for laying the ground work for introducing what I hope will be groundbreaking changes in screening and prevention,” said lead author Dr. Laura Esserman, director of the breast care center at UC San Francisco.\u003c!--more-->\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Esserman and her colleagues say the improved understanding of the behavior of various cancers provides an opportunity “to refocus screening on reducing disease mortality and lower the burden of cancer screening and treatments.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Reserve the word “cancer” for cancers\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For starters, the writers encourage saving the word “cancer” for those tumors with a “reasonable likelihood of lethal progression if left untreated.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They call for dropping the word \"cancer\" from pre-cancerous conditions. The panel calls out two conditions specifically: prostatic intraephithelial neoplasia, currently classified as prostate cancer and D.C.I.S. -- ductal carcinoma in situ -- currently classified as breast cancer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We terrify (women) with D.C.I.S. thinking they have cancer,” Esserman says, adding that in many cases, “We could wait six months to see if something changes without making people hysterical.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The panel also calls for the development of highly specialized diagnostic tests to identify these low risk tumors. Many \u003ca href=\"http://www.oncotypedx.com\">biotech companies\u003c/a> are already at work on these kinds of molecular diagnostic tools. It's part of the personalized medicine approach to treatment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>\"We need a 21st century definition of cancer\"\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dr. Otis Brawley, chief medical office of the American Cancer Society, said he was “largely in agreement” with the panel’s recommendations. In our call, he gave me a short biology lesson on medical science’s understanding of cancer, explaining that back in the 1840s Rudolf Virchow, a German pathologist, used an early microscope and identified cancer cells. Virchow then drew pictures that “profile what we use 160 years later” to diagnose cancer, Brawley says. He explained what while many other areas of medicine have advanced, our definitions of cancer still rely on what Virchow defined 160 years ago. (If you're as startled by this news as I was, check out Brawley’s \u003ca href=\"http://www.tedmed.com/talks/show?id=7295\">TedMed Talk\u003c/a>.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Brawley credited a colleague who likened the way doctors classify cancers today to “’racial profiling’ -- something that 160 years ago looked like it would kill you.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We need a 21\u003csup>st\u003c/sup> century definition of cancer,” Brawley said. “It is my belief that papers like this are going to motivate people” to address problems in classifying cancers. The easiest way to get around the problem, he said -- in reference to ductal carcinoma in situ in particular -- is to “remove the word carcinoma.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite Esserman's desire to avoid what she called the \"rancorous debate\" that's been going on around cancer screening and detection, that debate is likely to continue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dr. Larry Norton, director of the breast center at New York's Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center \u003ca href=\"http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/07/29/report-suggests-sweeping-changes-to-cancer-detection-and-treatment/?emc=eta1&_r=1\" target=\"_blank\">told the New York Times\u003c/a> that simply changing names doesn't solve the bigger problem that the technology isn't there yet to prove which cases of D.C.I.S. will grow and which ones won't. “I wish we knew that. We don’t have very accurate ways of looking at tissue and looking at tumors under the microscope and knowing with great certainty that it is a slow-growing cancer,” he told the Times.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Next steps\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Writer and journalist Shannon Brownlee who literally \u003ca href=\"http://www.tedmed.com/talks/show?id=7295\">wrote the book\u003c/a> on overtreatment said she was “delighted” by the Viewpoint. She believes the next step is for medical groups such as the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists to rethink their own guidelines on screening and treatment. By moving beyond a belief that screening is the best way to attack cancer, she says, the recommendations “free us up intellectually to reduce deaths from cancer.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Viewpoint writers call for an effort across medical disciplines, including pathology, surgery, imaging as well as advocates “to revise the taxonomy of lesions now called cancer.” They also call for the creations of \"observational registries\" to generate data so patients with conditions that are unlikely to become cancer can confidently select less invasive treatment options.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/stateofhealth/13900/cutting-down-on-cancer-overdiagnosis-national-panel-weighs-in",
"authors": [
"240"
],
"categories": [
"stateofhealth_14",
"stateofhealth_13"
],
"tags": [
"stateofhealth_16",
"stateofhealth_176",
"stateofhealth_511",
"stateofhealth_235",
"stateofhealth_461"
],
"featImg": "stateofhealth_13901",
"label": "stateofhealth"
},
"stateofhealth_13671": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "stateofhealth_13671",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "stateofhealth",
"id": "13671",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1374020509000
]
},
"parent": 0,
"labelTerm": {
"site": "stateofhealth"
},
"blocks": [],
"publishDate": 1374020509,
"format": "aside",
"disqusTitle": "California Bill Would Lift Ban on Paying Women for Eggs Used in Research",
"title": "California Bill Would Lift Ban on Paying Women for Eggs Used in Research",
"headTitle": "State of Health | KQED News",
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cstrong>By Elaine Korry, KQED\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13672\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 620px\">\u003ca href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/wellcomeimages/5814713452/sizes/l/in/photolist-9RPVJd-aRkaJK-aRkaQZ-ci5aZh-a89My9-97J5Dr-4hQUh-9Marma-7jZeQB-7k48vw-yy3di/\">\u003cimg class=\"size-large wp-image-13672\" title=\"\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/07/5814713452_e76ebc0d05_b-620x485.jpg\" alt=\"Human egg in a follicle. (Ivor Mason, KCL, Wellcome Images via Flickr)\" width=\"620\" height=\"485\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Human egg in a follicle. (Ivor Mason, KCL, Wellcome Images via Flickr)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>A bill awaiting Gov. Brown's signature would end a decade-old disparity in California law regarding egg donation. Under current law, it is legal to pay a woman who provides her eggs, called oocytes, to a couple going through in-vitro fertilization. But there is a ban on paying the same woman for the same eggs if they are to be used in medical research.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://leginfo.ca.gov/pub/13-14/bill/asm/ab_0901-0950/ab_926_bill_20130423_amended_asm_v98.html\" target=\"_blank\">AB 926\u003c/a>, a bill by Assemblywoman Susan A. Bonilla (D-Concord), would lift that ban on payment for research oocytes. Bonilla said the bill will create equity in the field of medical research compensation. \"This is the only research procedure that does not compensate,\" said Bonilla. \"As a result of that, a lot of very important research, particularly around women's fertility, just has not taken place here in California.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fertility research resulted in cancer survivor Alice Crisci holding on to her dream of motherhood. Crisci's \"miracle boy,\" as she calls him, is due Oct. 4, five years after she was diagnosed with breast cancer. At age 31, facing chemotherapy, Crisci had her own eggs preserved. She underwent ovarian stimulation, which involved weeks of hormone injections -- to increase the number of follicles she produced -- followed by a procedure to retrieve the eggs.\u003c!--more-->\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But without an economic incentive, few women have lined up to donate their eggs to science. \"We certainly do not attract funding to our state for this type of research because without compensation it has been amply proven that we will not be able to recruit donors,\" said Crisci.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>AB 926 would permit women who become research donors to be paid up to $5,000. By comparison, an infertile couple in California can pay an unlimited amount to obtain donor eggs for IVF treatments.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Planned Parenthood, the National Organization for Women, and the American Society for Reproductive Medicine are among the supporters of Bonilla's bill. Opponents of stem cell research, such as the California Catholic Conference, are against the measure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But some women's healthcare advocates are also opposed to AB 926. \"There has been no long-term or short-term follow-up on the women who are egg providers,\" said Diane Tober, the associate director of the Center for Genetics and Society in Berkeley. \"Women who provide eggs are typically treated more like a vendor than an actual patient,\" she said. \"She's there, she provides her eggs, and then she's shuttled out the door.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ovarian stimulation and oocyte retrieval can involve risks, which are spelled out in the consent form that egg donors must sign. Former donor Sindy Wei, said she was prepared for side effects from the hormones she injected, but not for a nicked artery. \"The day of my retrieval they induced some bleeding during the process, and as a result I ended up having emergency surgery to fix that,\" said Wei. She said the doctors dismissed her bleeding until it became an emergency.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Of course, complications may occur in many kinds of clinical research, yet lawmakers have not banned compensation for participating in those studies. Supporters of AB 926 said the same informed consent guidelines that govern other clinical research studies will provide ample protection for research egg donors as well.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Listen to the story:\u003cbr>\n\u003cobject width=\"335\" height=\"85\">\u003cparam name=\"movie\" value=\"http://www.kqed.org/assets/flash/kqedplayer.swf\">\u003cparam name=\"flashvars\" value=\"file=http://www.kqed.org/radio/archives/R201307180850b.xml\">\u003cembed src=\"http://www.kqed.org/assets/flash/kqedplayer.swf\" type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"335\" height=\"85\" flashvars=\"file=http://www.kqed.org/radio/archives/R201307180850b.xml\">\u003c/embed>\u003c/object>\u003c/p>\n\n",
"disqusIdentifier": "13671 http://blogs.kqed.org/stateofhealth/?p=13671",
"disqusUrl": "https://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2013/07/16/california-bill-would-lift-restrictions-on-egg-donation/",
"stats": {
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"hasAudio": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"wordCount": 559,
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"paragraphCount": 13
},
"modified": 1374164375,
"excerpt": "A bill awaiting Gov. Brown's signature would end a decade-old disparity in California law regarding egg donation. Under current law, it is legal to pay a woman who provides her eggs, called oocytes, to a couple going through in-vitro fertilization. But there is a ban on paying the same woman for the same eggs if they are to be used in medical research.\r\n\r\nAB 926, a bill by Assemblywoman Susan A. Bonilla (D-Concord), would lift that ban on payment for research oocytes. Bonilla said the bill will create equity in the field of medical research compensation. \"This is the only research procedure that does not compensate,\" said Bonilla. \"As a result of that, a lot of very important research, particularly around women's fertility, just has not taken place here in California.\"",
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": "A bill awaiting Gov. Brown's signature would end a decade-old disparity in California law regarding egg donation. Under current law, it is legal to pay a woman who provides her eggs, called oocytes, to a couple going through in-vitro fertilization. But there is a ban on paying the same woman for the same eggs if they are to be used in medical research.\r\n\r\nAB 926, a bill by Assemblywoman Susan A. Bonilla (D-Concord), would lift that ban on payment for research oocytes. Bonilla said the bill will create equity in the field of medical research compensation. "This is the only research procedure that does not compensate," said Bonilla. "As a result of that, a lot of very important research, particularly around women's fertility, just has not taken place here in California."",
"title": "California Bill Would Lift Ban on Paying Women for Eggs Used in Research | KQED",
"ogDescription": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "California Bill Would Lift Ban on Paying Women for Eggs Used in Research",
"datePublished": "2013-07-16T17:21:49-07:00",
"dateModified": "2013-07-18T09:19:35-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "california-bill-would-lift-restrictions-on-egg-donation",
"status": "publish",
"path": "/stateofhealth/13671/california-bill-would-lift-restrictions-on-egg-donation",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cstrong>By Elaine Korry, KQED\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13672\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 620px\">\u003ca href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/wellcomeimages/5814713452/sizes/l/in/photolist-9RPVJd-aRkaJK-aRkaQZ-ci5aZh-a89My9-97J5Dr-4hQUh-9Marma-7jZeQB-7k48vw-yy3di/\">\u003cimg class=\"size-large wp-image-13672\" title=\"\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/07/5814713452_e76ebc0d05_b-620x485.jpg\" alt=\"Human egg in a follicle. (Ivor Mason, KCL, Wellcome Images via Flickr)\" width=\"620\" height=\"485\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Human egg in a follicle. (Ivor Mason, KCL, Wellcome Images via Flickr)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>A bill awaiting Gov. Brown's signature would end a decade-old disparity in California law regarding egg donation. Under current law, it is legal to pay a woman who provides her eggs, called oocytes, to a couple going through in-vitro fertilization. But there is a ban on paying the same woman for the same eggs if they are to be used in medical research.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://leginfo.ca.gov/pub/13-14/bill/asm/ab_0901-0950/ab_926_bill_20130423_amended_asm_v98.html\" target=\"_blank\">AB 926\u003c/a>, a bill by Assemblywoman Susan A. Bonilla (D-Concord), would lift that ban on payment for research oocytes. Bonilla said the bill will create equity in the field of medical research compensation. \"This is the only research procedure that does not compensate,\" said Bonilla. \"As a result of that, a lot of very important research, particularly around women's fertility, just has not taken place here in California.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fertility research resulted in cancer survivor Alice Crisci holding on to her dream of motherhood. Crisci's \"miracle boy,\" as she calls him, is due Oct. 4, five years after she was diagnosed with breast cancer. At age 31, facing chemotherapy, Crisci had her own eggs preserved. She underwent ovarian stimulation, which involved weeks of hormone injections -- to increase the number of follicles she produced -- followed by a procedure to retrieve the eggs.\u003c!--more-->\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But without an economic incentive, few women have lined up to donate their eggs to science. \"We certainly do not attract funding to our state for this type of research because without compensation it has been amply proven that we will not be able to recruit donors,\" said Crisci.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>AB 926 would permit women who become research donors to be paid up to $5,000. By comparison, an infertile couple in California can pay an unlimited amount to obtain donor eggs for IVF treatments.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Planned Parenthood, the National Organization for Women, and the American Society for Reproductive Medicine are among the supporters of Bonilla's bill. Opponents of stem cell research, such as the California Catholic Conference, are against the measure.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But some women's healthcare advocates are also opposed to AB 926. \"There has been no long-term or short-term follow-up on the women who are egg providers,\" said Diane Tober, the associate director of the Center for Genetics and Society in Berkeley. \"Women who provide eggs are typically treated more like a vendor than an actual patient,\" she said. \"She's there, she provides her eggs, and then she's shuttled out the door.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ovarian stimulation and oocyte retrieval can involve risks, which are spelled out in the consent form that egg donors must sign. Former donor Sindy Wei, said she was prepared for side effects from the hormones she injected, but not for a nicked artery. \"The day of my retrieval they induced some bleeding during the process, and as a result I ended up having emergency surgery to fix that,\" said Wei. She said the doctors dismissed her bleeding until it became an emergency.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Of course, complications may occur in many kinds of clinical research, yet lawmakers have not banned compensation for participating in those studies. Supporters of AB 926 said the same informed consent guidelines that govern other clinical research studies will provide ample protection for research egg donors as well.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Listen to the story:\u003cbr>\n\u003cobject width=\"335\" height=\"85\">\u003cparam name=\"movie\" value=\"http://www.kqed.org/assets/flash/kqedplayer.swf\">\u003cparam name=\"flashvars\" value=\"file=http://www.kqed.org/radio/archives/R201307180850b.xml\">\u003cembed src=\"http://www.kqed.org/assets/flash/kqedplayer.swf\" type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"335\" height=\"85\" flashvars=\"file=http://www.kqed.org/radio/archives/R201307180850b.xml\">\u003c/embed>\u003c/object>\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/stateofhealth/13671/california-bill-would-lift-restrictions-on-egg-donation",
"authors": [
"8344"
],
"categories": [
"stateofhealth_13"
],
"featImg": "stateofhealth_13672",
"label": "stateofhealth"
},
"stateofhealth_13654": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "stateofhealth_13654",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "stateofhealth",
"id": "13654",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1373933756000
]
},
"parent": 0,
"labelTerm": {
"site": "stateofhealth"
},
"blocks": [],
"publishDate": 1373933756,
"format": "aside",
"disqusTitle": "Headaches, Heart Disease, Stroke; Can Aspirin Prevent Cancer, Too?",
"title": "Headaches, Heart Disease, Stroke; Can Aspirin Prevent Cancer, Too?",
"headTitle": "State of Health | KQED News",
"content": "\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13656\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 620px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-large wp-image-13656\" title=\"\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/07/aspirin_ThinkStock-620x586.jpg\" alt=\"(Photo: Getty Images)\" width=\"620\" height=\"586\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(Photo: Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>We've known for years that the lowly over-the-counter aspirin not only relieves headaches, but it can also reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke. Now researchers have demonstrated aspirin can do even more: it may prevent cancer, specifically colon cancer in women.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There has been mounting \u003ca href=\"http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22036019\" target=\"_blank\">evidence\u003c/a> that links aspirin use to lower rates of cancer, particularly gastrointestinal cancers like colon cancer. Yet, few studies have set out to directly ask whether aspirin actually reduces cases of cancer.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"pullquote alignleft\">Over the 18 year study, women who took aspirin reduced their risk of colon cancer by about 20 percent.\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>Results from the \u003ca href=\"http://annals.org/article.aspx?articleid=1709803\" target=\"_blank\">Women’s Health Study\u003c/a> (WHS) released Monday is the first to examine how every-other-day use of low-dose aspirin specifically affects cancer in women, said Nancy Cook an author on the paper.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The researchers chose to use a low-dose of aspirin to minimize the drug’s side effects.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Until now, there has been little information about what dose of aspirin might be needed to prevent cancer.\u003c!--more-->\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The WHS enrolled almost 40,000 women in a decade-long aspirin experiment. Half of the women took a low-dose of aspirin (100mg) every other day. The other half was given placebo. Over the 18 year study, women who took aspirin reduced their risk of colon cancer by about 20 percent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the end of 10 years, Cook and her colleagues \u003ca href=\"http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15998890\" target=\"_blank\">compared\u003c/a> the aspirin-takers with those that took the sugar pills. But they didn’t see any difference in cancer rates between the groups.\u003cstrong>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>I\u003c/strong>n previous studies that hinted at a cancer-preventing role of aspirin, participants were often given high doses of the drug. Even then, many of those benefits came with a \u003ca href=\"http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21144578\">delay\u003c/a> -- 5 or 10 years after starting the regimen.\u003cstrong>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So the research team continued to follow 34,000 of the original women and tracked their health for roughly 8 more years. Then they did the comparison again.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I wasn’t expecting to see [an] effect on colorectal cancer at all. Our initial results had been null,” said Cook, a professor at Boston's Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. But “right after we published the [initial] results of the trial, those curves begin to separate.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Those results are published in this latest study. Among the group of women who took a low-dose of aspirin, there were fewer cases of colorectal cancer. “That was really surprising,” Cook added.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Katherine Van Loon, a gastrointestinal oncologist at UCSF sounded downright enthusiastic when I talked to her on the phone. The study is \"incredibly robust,\" she said. “The sample size [of nearly 40,000 women] and the long duration of follow up are really exceptional,” she added.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The jury is still out on aspirin’s effect on other cancers, including breast and lung. To date, research findings have been inconsistent and the WHS didn’t find any effect for other types of cancer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Exactly how aspirin may prevent colon cancer is still a mystery, and scientists also don’t clearly understand the reason behind the delay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It seems that those [studies] with higher doses [of aspirin] tended to find the effect earlier,” said Cook.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But people wary of cancer may want to exercise caution before stocking up on a year’s supply of aspirin.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Higher doses of aspirin can lead to more side effects, and the study found that even a low dose of aspirin put people at greater risk of gastrointestinal bleeding and peptic ulcers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In rare instances, aspirin can cause gastrointestinal hemorrhage, which could lead to hospitalization and blood transfusions, said Cook.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Drugs that work come with a risk,” said Bruce Hammock, a professor in both UC Davis’ Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Entomology Department (it turns out chemical pathways in insects are very similar to those in humans). Doctors should ask patients if they have \"a tendency toward GI bleeding,\" Hammock said. “If you do, you would run away from aspirin.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On the other hand are patients with a family history of colon cancer or a genetic pre-disposition to form gastrointestinal tumors. “These data say to me that that cohort of people would probably be a lot better off taking a baby aspirin,” said Hammock.\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In other words, each person must weigh the risks and benefits of their personal health history with their doctor and watch for possible complications when using any drug.\u003c/p>\n\n",
"disqusIdentifier": "13654 http://blogs.kqed.org/stateofhealth/?p=13654",
"disqusUrl": "https://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2013/07/15/headaches-heart-disease-stroke-can-aspirin-prevent-cancer-too/",
"stats": {
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"hasAudio": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"wordCount": 769,
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"paragraphCount": 23
},
"modified": 1374605701,
"excerpt": "We've known for years that the lowly over-the-counter aspirin not only relieves headaches, but it can also reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke. Now researchers have demonstrated aspirin can do even more: it may prevent cancer, specifically colon cancer in women.\r\n\r\nThere has been mounting evidence that links aspirin use to lower rates of cancer, particularly gastrointestinal cancers like colon cancer. Yet, few studies have set out to directly ask whether aspirin actually reduces cases of cancer.\r\n",
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": "We've known for years that the lowly over-the-counter aspirin not only relieves headaches, but it can also reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke. Now researchers have demonstrated aspirin can do even more: it may prevent cancer, specifically colon cancer in women.\r\n\r\nThere has been mounting evidence that links aspirin use to lower rates of cancer, particularly gastrointestinal cancers like colon cancer. Yet, few studies have set out to directly ask whether aspirin actually reduces cases of cancer.\r\n",
"title": "Headaches, Heart Disease, Stroke; Can Aspirin Prevent Cancer, Too? | KQED",
"ogDescription": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "Headaches, Heart Disease, Stroke; Can Aspirin Prevent Cancer, Too?",
"datePublished": "2013-07-15T17:15:56-07:00",
"dateModified": "2013-07-23T11:55:01-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "headaches-heart-disease-stroke-can-aspirin-prevent-cancer-too",
"status": "publish",
"path": "/stateofhealth/13654/headaches-heart-disease-stroke-can-aspirin-prevent-cancer-too",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13656\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 620px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-large wp-image-13656\" title=\"\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/07/aspirin_ThinkStock-620x586.jpg\" alt=\"(Photo: Getty Images)\" width=\"620\" height=\"586\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(Photo: Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>We've known for years that the lowly over-the-counter aspirin not only relieves headaches, but it can also reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke. Now researchers have demonstrated aspirin can do even more: it may prevent cancer, specifically colon cancer in women.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There has been mounting \u003ca href=\"http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22036019\" target=\"_blank\">evidence\u003c/a> that links aspirin use to lower rates of cancer, particularly gastrointestinal cancers like colon cancer. Yet, few studies have set out to directly ask whether aspirin actually reduces cases of cancer.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"pullquote alignleft\">Over the 18 year study, women who took aspirin reduced their risk of colon cancer by about 20 percent.\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>Results from the \u003ca href=\"http://annals.org/article.aspx?articleid=1709803\" target=\"_blank\">Women’s Health Study\u003c/a> (WHS) released Monday is the first to examine how every-other-day use of low-dose aspirin specifically affects cancer in women, said Nancy Cook an author on the paper.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The researchers chose to use a low-dose of aspirin to minimize the drug’s side effects.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Until now, there has been little information about what dose of aspirin might be needed to prevent cancer.\u003c!--more-->\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The WHS enrolled almost 40,000 women in a decade-long aspirin experiment. Half of the women took a low-dose of aspirin (100mg) every other day. The other half was given placebo. Over the 18 year study, women who took aspirin reduced their risk of colon cancer by about 20 percent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the end of 10 years, Cook and her colleagues \u003ca href=\"http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15998890\" target=\"_blank\">compared\u003c/a> the aspirin-takers with those that took the sugar pills. But they didn’t see any difference in cancer rates between the groups.\u003cstrong>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>I\u003c/strong>n previous studies that hinted at a cancer-preventing role of aspirin, participants were often given high doses of the drug. Even then, many of those benefits came with a \u003ca href=\"http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21144578\">delay\u003c/a> -- 5 or 10 years after starting the regimen.\u003cstrong>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So the research team continued to follow 34,000 of the original women and tracked their health for roughly 8 more years. Then they did the comparison again.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I wasn’t expecting to see [an] effect on colorectal cancer at all. Our initial results had been null,” said Cook, a professor at Boston's Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. But “right after we published the [initial] results of the trial, those curves begin to separate.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Those results are published in this latest study. Among the group of women who took a low-dose of aspirin, there were fewer cases of colorectal cancer. “That was really surprising,” Cook added.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Katherine Van Loon, a gastrointestinal oncologist at UCSF sounded downright enthusiastic when I talked to her on the phone. The study is \"incredibly robust,\" she said. “The sample size [of nearly 40,000 women] and the long duration of follow up are really exceptional,” she added.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The jury is still out on aspirin’s effect on other cancers, including breast and lung. To date, research findings have been inconsistent and the WHS didn’t find any effect for other types of cancer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Exactly how aspirin may prevent colon cancer is still a mystery, and scientists also don’t clearly understand the reason behind the delay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It seems that those [studies] with higher doses [of aspirin] tended to find the effect earlier,” said Cook.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But people wary of cancer may want to exercise caution before stocking up on a year’s supply of aspirin.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Higher doses of aspirin can lead to more side effects, and the study found that even a low dose of aspirin put people at greater risk of gastrointestinal bleeding and peptic ulcers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In rare instances, aspirin can cause gastrointestinal hemorrhage, which could lead to hospitalization and blood transfusions, said Cook.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Drugs that work come with a risk,” said Bruce Hammock, a professor in both UC Davis’ Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Entomology Department (it turns out chemical pathways in insects are very similar to those in humans). Doctors should ask patients if they have \"a tendency toward GI bleeding,\" Hammock said. “If you do, you would run away from aspirin.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On the other hand are patients with a family history of colon cancer or a genetic pre-disposition to form gastrointestinal tumors. “These data say to me that that cohort of people would probably be a lot better off taking a baby aspirin,” said Hammock.\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In other words, each person must weigh the risks and benefits of their personal health history with their doctor and watch for possible complications when using any drug.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/stateofhealth/13654/headaches-heart-disease-stroke-can-aspirin-prevent-cancer-too",
"authors": [
"1462"
],
"categories": [
"stateofhealth_13"
],
"tags": [
"stateofhealth_193",
"stateofhealth_461"
],
"featImg": "stateofhealth_13656",
"label": "stateofhealth"
},
"stateofhealth_13534": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "stateofhealth_13534",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "stateofhealth",
"id": "13534",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1373306015000
]
},
"parent": 0,
"labelTerm": {
"site": "stateofhealth"
},
"blocks": [],
"publishDate": 1373306015,
"format": "aside",
"disqusTitle": "CT Scans and Kids: Parents Often Unaware of Risks",
"title": "CT Scans and Kids: Parents Often Unaware of Risks",
"headTitle": "State of Health | KQED News",
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cimg class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-10715\" title=\"\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/02/CT-scan-13-of-Clubs_Flickr-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"CT scan 13 of Clubs_Flickr\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\">Mary Kathryn Lynch stood next to her young son in a Lake Tahoe emergency room. The Oakland resident had rushed her 9-year-old to the hospital after a ski accident left him groggy, curled up in the fetal position, and speaking incoherently.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nurses and hospital staff told Lynch that her son needed a CT scan of his head right away, she recalled.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While Lynch and her husband were both worried the accident may have caused brain damage, her husband was also weighing risks of the scan's radiation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CT -- or computerized tomography -- combines a series of x-rays for a sophisticated image. In this case, doctors could use the scan to quickly detect internal bleeding or other injuries.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It is a powerful tool that has saved lives by discovering small problems before they’ve had the chance to get worse, says Andrew Phelps, a pediatric radiologist at UCSF. But the useful pictures come at a cost: CT scans expose patients to radiation levels that are higher than other types of imaging, like traditional x-rays or MRIs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And exposure to high levels of radiation has been linked to cancer.\u003c!--more-->\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite the potential dangers, fewer than half of the parents who bring their children into emergency rooms are aware of the cancer risks from CT scans, according to a \u003ca href=\"http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2013/07/02/peds.2013-0378.abstract\">study\u003c/a> published today in the journal Pediatrics.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Clearly there is a gap in the truth about the radiation risks and parental understanding,” said Phelps, who was not involved with the study.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Although the potential risk to any individual is small, multiple exposures or high doses of radiation may increase the risk of cancer later in life. What’s more, the developing bodies of children may be even more sensitive to radiation than adults.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the study researchers surveyed parents arriving in Canadian emergency rooms with kids who had suffered head injuries. The researchers found that roughly 90 percent of parents were “very willing/willing” to have a CT scan done on their child.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The use of CT scans in diagnosing kids has grown dramatically in the past decades. One previous \u003ca href=\"http://archpedi.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1696279\">study\u003c/a> of U.S. health centers found that the number of scans in kids younger than age 5 had doubled from 1995 to 2005. During the same period, the number of scans tripled for children ages 5-14. Other research of CT scans in emergency rooms, has \u003ca href=\"http://radiology.rsna.org/content/early/2011/03/15/radiol.11101939.full\">found\u003c/a> that the increase was even higher: CT scans in kids increased fivefold from 1995 to 2008, growing from 0.33 to 1.65 million.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since 2007, studies suggest that the use of CT in children has declined. At pediatric hospitals, more doctors are prescribing ultrasounds or MRIs, which are less risky, said Phelps.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“But about half of all pediatric imaging occurs in non-pediatric imaging centers,” he said, adding that children who get tests at places that cater to adults may not always be getting “kid-sized” doses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many physicians credit much of the decrease in the number of CT scans in recent years to the \u003ca href=\"http://www.pedrad.org/associations/5364/ig/\">Image Gently\u003c/a> campaign by the Alliance for Radiation Safety in Pediatric Imaging. The campaign advocates for doing tests only when they are medically necessary and then to use the smallest amount of radiation possible.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The purpose is to educate the pediatricians and the general practitioners before you order a test,” said Bernice Law, a pediatric radiologist at California Pacific Medical Center.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The campaign encourages parents to be proactive and ask physicians if a test is medically necessary.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the Canadian study, researchers found that a clear discussion of risks and benefits makes a difference to parents. After these conversations, the number of parents willing to approve a CT scan in their child dropped from 90 to almost 70 percent. In addition, more than 90 percent of all the parents -- including those who still wanted the scan -- wanted to know the risks before the tests were done.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Back in the emergency room at Lake Tahoe, Lynch didn’t know a lot about the risks of a CT scan but she did know that something was wrong with her son. “You can see that your kid is in distress,” she said. “Here’s an immediate problem versus a potential future problem.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She and her husband asked the hospital staff about alternatives and ways to minimize the amount of radiation from the CT scan. But she says she felt pressure by some staff to do the test right away. “I will say that we really had to pull that information out of them,” Lynch says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When a more senior doctor arrived in the emergency room, he explained the risks and benefits of the procedure with Lynch and her husband. “The doctor there was fabulous because he gave us a lot of information, and it felt like we were making a very informed decision,” said Lynch.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As Lynch was signing the paperwork to consent to the CT scan, her groggy son suddenly began to perk up. He started to uncurl his body and speak normally. In the end, he didn’t get a CT scan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But, like many parents in the Canadian study, Lynch said that she appreciated a doctor walking her through all the risks and benefits of the test.\u003c/p>\n\n",
"disqusIdentifier": "13534 http://blogs.kqed.org/stateofhealth/?p=13534",
"disqusUrl": "https://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2013/07/08/ct-scans-and-kids-parents-often-unaware-of-risks/",
"stats": {
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"hasAudio": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"wordCount": 899,
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"paragraphCount": 24
},
"modified": 1373515349,
"excerpt": "Mary Kathryn Lynch stood next to her young son in a Lake Tahoe emergency room. The Oakland resident had rushed her 9-year-old to the hospital after a ski accident left him groggy, curled up in the fetal position, and speaking incoherently.\r\n\r\nNurses and hospital staff told Lynch that her son needed a CT scan of his head right away, she recalled.\r\n\r\nWhile Lynch and her husband were both worried the accident may have caused brain damage, her husband was also weighing risks of the scan's radiation.",
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": "Mary Kathryn Lynch stood next to her young son in a Lake Tahoe emergency room. The Oakland resident had rushed her 9-year-old to the hospital after a ski accident left him groggy, curled up in the fetal position, and speaking incoherently.\r\n\r\nNurses and hospital staff told Lynch that her son needed a CT scan of his head right away, she recalled.\r\n\r\nWhile Lynch and her husband were both worried the accident may have caused brain damage, her husband was also weighing risks of the scan's radiation.",
"title": "CT Scans and Kids: Parents Often Unaware of Risks | KQED",
"ogDescription": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "CT Scans and Kids: Parents Often Unaware of Risks",
"datePublished": "2013-07-08T10:53:35-07:00",
"dateModified": "2013-07-10T21:02:29-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "ct-scans-and-kids-parents-often-unaware-of-risks",
"status": "publish",
"path": "/stateofhealth/13534/ct-scans-and-kids-parents-often-unaware-of-risks",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cimg class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-10715\" title=\"\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/02/CT-scan-13-of-Clubs_Flickr-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"CT scan 13 of Clubs_Flickr\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\">Mary Kathryn Lynch stood next to her young son in a Lake Tahoe emergency room. The Oakland resident had rushed her 9-year-old to the hospital after a ski accident left him groggy, curled up in the fetal position, and speaking incoherently.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nurses and hospital staff told Lynch that her son needed a CT scan of his head right away, she recalled.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While Lynch and her husband were both worried the accident may have caused brain damage, her husband was also weighing risks of the scan's radiation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CT -- or computerized tomography -- combines a series of x-rays for a sophisticated image. In this case, doctors could use the scan to quickly detect internal bleeding or other injuries.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It is a powerful tool that has saved lives by discovering small problems before they’ve had the chance to get worse, says Andrew Phelps, a pediatric radiologist at UCSF. But the useful pictures come at a cost: CT scans expose patients to radiation levels that are higher than other types of imaging, like traditional x-rays or MRIs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And exposure to high levels of radiation has been linked to cancer.\u003c!--more-->\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite the potential dangers, fewer than half of the parents who bring their children into emergency rooms are aware of the cancer risks from CT scans, according to a \u003ca href=\"http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2013/07/02/peds.2013-0378.abstract\">study\u003c/a> published today in the journal Pediatrics.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Clearly there is a gap in the truth about the radiation risks and parental understanding,” said Phelps, who was not involved with the study.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Although the potential risk to any individual is small, multiple exposures or high doses of radiation may increase the risk of cancer later in life. What’s more, the developing bodies of children may be even more sensitive to radiation than adults.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the study researchers surveyed parents arriving in Canadian emergency rooms with kids who had suffered head injuries. The researchers found that roughly 90 percent of parents were “very willing/willing” to have a CT scan done on their child.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The use of CT scans in diagnosing kids has grown dramatically in the past decades. One previous \u003ca href=\"http://archpedi.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1696279\">study\u003c/a> of U.S. health centers found that the number of scans in kids younger than age 5 had doubled from 1995 to 2005. During the same period, the number of scans tripled for children ages 5-14. Other research of CT scans in emergency rooms, has \u003ca href=\"http://radiology.rsna.org/content/early/2011/03/15/radiol.11101939.full\">found\u003c/a> that the increase was even higher: CT scans in kids increased fivefold from 1995 to 2008, growing from 0.33 to 1.65 million.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since 2007, studies suggest that the use of CT in children has declined. At pediatric hospitals, more doctors are prescribing ultrasounds or MRIs, which are less risky, said Phelps.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“But about half of all pediatric imaging occurs in non-pediatric imaging centers,” he said, adding that children who get tests at places that cater to adults may not always be getting “kid-sized” doses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many physicians credit much of the decrease in the number of CT scans in recent years to the \u003ca href=\"http://www.pedrad.org/associations/5364/ig/\">Image Gently\u003c/a> campaign by the Alliance for Radiation Safety in Pediatric Imaging. The campaign advocates for doing tests only when they are medically necessary and then to use the smallest amount of radiation possible.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The purpose is to educate the pediatricians and the general practitioners before you order a test,” said Bernice Law, a pediatric radiologist at California Pacific Medical Center.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The campaign encourages parents to be proactive and ask physicians if a test is medically necessary.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the Canadian study, researchers found that a clear discussion of risks and benefits makes a difference to parents. After these conversations, the number of parents willing to approve a CT scan in their child dropped from 90 to almost 70 percent. In addition, more than 90 percent of all the parents -- including those who still wanted the scan -- wanted to know the risks before the tests were done.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Back in the emergency room at Lake Tahoe, Lynch didn’t know a lot about the risks of a CT scan but she did know that something was wrong with her son. “You can see that your kid is in distress,” she said. “Here’s an immediate problem versus a potential future problem.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She and her husband asked the hospital staff about alternatives and ways to minimize the amount of radiation from the CT scan. But she says she felt pressure by some staff to do the test right away. “I will say that we really had to pull that information out of them,” Lynch says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When a more senior doctor arrived in the emergency room, he explained the risks and benefits of the procedure with Lynch and her husband. “The doctor there was fabulous because he gave us a lot of information, and it felt like we were making a very informed decision,” said Lynch.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As Lynch was signing the paperwork to consent to the CT scan, her groggy son suddenly began to perk up. He started to uncurl his body and speak normally. In the end, he didn’t get a CT scan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But, like many parents in the Canadian study, Lynch said that she appreciated a doctor walking her through all the risks and benefits of the test.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/stateofhealth/13534/ct-scans-and-kids-parents-often-unaware-of-risks",
"authors": [
"1462"
],
"categories": [
"stateofhealth_13"
],
"tags": [
"stateofhealth_96",
"stateofhealth_77",
"stateofhealth_461"
],
"featImg": "stateofhealth_10715",
"label": "stateofhealth"
},
"stateofhealth_13276": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "stateofhealth_13276",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "stateofhealth",
"id": "13276",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1371575625000
]
},
"parent": 0,
"labelTerm": {
"site": "stateofhealth"
},
"blocks": [],
"publishDate": 1371575625,
"format": "aside",
"disqusTitle": "Despite Promises, Key Autism Therapy Cut from Medi-Cal",
"title": "Despite Promises, Key Autism Therapy Cut from Medi-Cal",
"headTitle": "State of Health | KQED News",
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cstrong>By Ryder Diaz, KQED\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13282\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 300px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-medium wp-image-13282\" title=\"\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/06/166731138-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"(Getty Images)\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>If you don't have a child with autism, you might not know about Applied Behavioral Analysis. ABA is widely regarded as a necessary and effective treatment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now many poor children will lose access to this therapy under deals reached in Sacramento last week. Meanwhile, other kids -- including those who become insured under the state's new Obamacare marketplace -- may well continue to have access to this therapy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here's the background: under the Affordable Care Act, states can expand Medicaid, called Medi-Cal in California. People with incomes up to 138 percent of poverty will be eligible. Last week, as the legislature and the administration were wrapping up the state's budget, the legislature was simultaneously moving forward on final bills to implement the Medi-Cal expansion.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last Friday, after months of debate, legislators sent two final bills to the governor's desk to approve the expansion. But for supporters of the expansion, this victory came at the cost -- ABA therapy for kids on Medi-Cal was axed. Children's advocates are frustrated.\u003c!--more-->\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“With ABA services not covered in Medi-Cal, it essentially means that low-income children are not provided the same comprehensive level of mental health benefits that we’ve mandated private plans cover,” said Mike Odeh, senior health policy associate at Children Now, an advocacy group based in Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Private insurers are currently required to cover ABA therapy under a law signed in 2011. But that law is scheduled to sunset in 2014. In an odd turn of fate, as legislators nixed ABA coverage for Medi-Cal last week they simultaneously \u003ca href=\"http://www.californiahealthline.org/capitol-desk/2013/6/good-policy-news-for-autistic-kids.aspx\" target=\"_blank\">moved a bill forward\u003c/a> that would extend the mandate for private plans to continue to cover ABA therapy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In short, if your children are on Medi-Cal, they will lose access to ABA while children receiving private insurance will apparently retain it -- until 2019, if the \u003ca href=\"http://www.legtrack.com/bill.html?bill=201320140SB126\" target=\"_blank\">proposed bill\u003c/a> passes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Families who had been receiving insurance through Healthy Families, California's low-cost insurance specifically for children and pregnant women, have been fighting hard to keep access to ABA. Last fall, the state passed an emergency measure to provide ABA to children enrolled in the insurance program. When the state began moving Healthy Families children to Medi-Cal earlier this year, families were promised that benefits would be the same. Yet, some 500 children have lost or will soon lose their ABA benefits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The emergency legislation “specifically documented that these children would likely face irreparable harm if they did not receive this treatment,” said Kristin Jacobson, President and Co-Founder of Autism Deserves Equal Coverage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Families and advocates have been pushing the state to continue to cover this intensive therapy, which they say is necessary for many autistic children to build important developmental and social skills.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Without ABA “not only are you condemning [children] to a life where they are unable to function in society, you’re also burdening society with their care for their lifetime,” said Jacobson. She said the legislators' move to take ABA coverage out of last week’s bills was “completely perplexing” and “inexplicable.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Parents like Rachel Harris feel betrayed. Harris was told that her son’s treatments would continue despite the switch from Healthy Families to Medi-Cal. Harris’s 4-year-old son, Daniel, had just started receiving ABA for autism that he was diagnosed with at age 3.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the short time Daniel had been receiving the therapy, he was already making big gains: making eye contact with people, asking questions, and he ran off less.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But when Daniel was moved to Medi-Cal on April 1, his ABA treatments ended. Harris said Daniel has begun to go backwards, biting his brother, climbing on top of the refrigerator and running off into a parking lot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I am trying to tend to my son and help him cope day to day,” Harris said in a press release. “It is nearly impossible without the ABA therapy on which we depended. We are devastated that the State has broken its promises to our son and our family.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Half of the children enrolled in Healthy Families have already been switched over to Medi-Cal with the rest moving over in the coming months. With larger numbers of families expected to sign up for Medi-Cal later this year, more children with autism will not be able to access the care that they need.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Advocates are hoping to work with the legislature to get the therapy covered.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s some urgency to it,” said Mike Odeh. “Some children that have already transitioned to Medi-Cal have lost those services but there’s still more transitions to come.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the state capital, Sen. Darrell Steinberg, (D-Sacramento), who has been pushing for autism coverage in both private insurance and Medi-Cal, said he will keep trying.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Unfortunately, this year, there simply wasn't enough room in the budget to fund ABA therapy in Medi-Cal for kids with autism spectrum disorder. I will not give up the fight, however,” Steinberg told \u003ca href=\"http://www.californiahealthline.org/features/2013/california-budget-puts-some-health-care-issues-on-hold.aspx#ixzz2WUpCVTex\" target=\"_blank\">California Healthline\u003c/a>. “It's at the top of my list to get done next year.\"\u003c/p>\n\n",
"disqusIdentifier": "13276 http://blogs.kqed.org/stateofhealth/?p=13276",
"disqusUrl": "https://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2013/06/18/despite-promises-key-autism-therapy-cut-from-medi-cal/",
"stats": {
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"hasAudio": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"wordCount": 887,
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"paragraphCount": 23
},
"modified": 1371752025,
"excerpt": "If you don't have a child with autism, you might not know about Applied Behavioral Analysis. ABA is widely regarded as a necessary and effective treatment.\r\n\r\nNow many poor children will lose access to this therapy under deals reached in Sacramento last week. Meanwhile, other kids -- including those who become insured under the state's new Obamacare marketplace -- may well continue to have access to this therapy. \r\n\r\nHere's the background: under the Affordable Care Act, states can expand Medicaid, called Medi-Cal in California. People will incomes up to 138 percent of poverty will be eligible. Last week, as the legislature and the administration were wrapping up the state's budget, the legislature was simultaneously moving forward on final bills to implement the Medi-Cal expansion.",
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": "If you don't have a child with autism, you might not know about Applied Behavioral Analysis. ABA is widely regarded as a necessary and effective treatment.\r\n\r\nNow many poor children will lose access to this therapy under deals reached in Sacramento last week. Meanwhile, other kids -- including those who become insured under the state's new Obamacare marketplace -- may well continue to have access to this therapy. \r\n\r\nHere's the background: under the Affordable Care Act, states can expand Medicaid, called Medi-Cal in California. People will incomes up to 138 percent of poverty will be eligible. Last week, as the legislature and the administration were wrapping up the state's budget, the legislature was simultaneously moving forward on final bills to implement the Medi-Cal expansion.",
"title": "Despite Promises, Key Autism Therapy Cut from Medi-Cal | KQED",
"ogDescription": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "Despite Promises, Key Autism Therapy Cut from Medi-Cal",
"datePublished": "2013-06-18T10:13:45-07:00",
"dateModified": "2013-06-20T11:13:45-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "despite-promises-key-autism-therapy-cut-from-medi-cal",
"status": "publish",
"path": "/stateofhealth/13276/despite-promises-key-autism-therapy-cut-from-medi-cal",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cstrong>By Ryder Diaz, KQED\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13282\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 300px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-medium wp-image-13282\" title=\"\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/06/166731138-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"(Getty Images)\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>If you don't have a child with autism, you might not know about Applied Behavioral Analysis. ABA is widely regarded as a necessary and effective treatment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now many poor children will lose access to this therapy under deals reached in Sacramento last week. Meanwhile, other kids -- including those who become insured under the state's new Obamacare marketplace -- may well continue to have access to this therapy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here's the background: under the Affordable Care Act, states can expand Medicaid, called Medi-Cal in California. People with incomes up to 138 percent of poverty will be eligible. Last week, as the legislature and the administration were wrapping up the state's budget, the legislature was simultaneously moving forward on final bills to implement the Medi-Cal expansion.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last Friday, after months of debate, legislators sent two final bills to the governor's desk to approve the expansion. But for supporters of the expansion, this victory came at the cost -- ABA therapy for kids on Medi-Cal was axed. Children's advocates are frustrated.\u003c!--more-->\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“With ABA services not covered in Medi-Cal, it essentially means that low-income children are not provided the same comprehensive level of mental health benefits that we’ve mandated private plans cover,” said Mike Odeh, senior health policy associate at Children Now, an advocacy group based in Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Private insurers are currently required to cover ABA therapy under a law signed in 2011. But that law is scheduled to sunset in 2014. In an odd turn of fate, as legislators nixed ABA coverage for Medi-Cal last week they simultaneously \u003ca href=\"http://www.californiahealthline.org/capitol-desk/2013/6/good-policy-news-for-autistic-kids.aspx\" target=\"_blank\">moved a bill forward\u003c/a> that would extend the mandate for private plans to continue to cover ABA therapy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In short, if your children are on Medi-Cal, they will lose access to ABA while children receiving private insurance will apparently retain it -- until 2019, if the \u003ca href=\"http://www.legtrack.com/bill.html?bill=201320140SB126\" target=\"_blank\">proposed bill\u003c/a> passes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Families who had been receiving insurance through Healthy Families, California's low-cost insurance specifically for children and pregnant women, have been fighting hard to keep access to ABA. Last fall, the state passed an emergency measure to provide ABA to children enrolled in the insurance program. When the state began moving Healthy Families children to Medi-Cal earlier this year, families were promised that benefits would be the same. Yet, some 500 children have lost or will soon lose their ABA benefits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The emergency legislation “specifically documented that these children would likely face irreparable harm if they did not receive this treatment,” said Kristin Jacobson, President and Co-Founder of Autism Deserves Equal Coverage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Families and advocates have been pushing the state to continue to cover this intensive therapy, which they say is necessary for many autistic children to build important developmental and social skills.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Without ABA “not only are you condemning [children] to a life where they are unable to function in society, you’re also burdening society with their care for their lifetime,” said Jacobson. She said the legislators' move to take ABA coverage out of last week’s bills was “completely perplexing” and “inexplicable.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Parents like Rachel Harris feel betrayed. Harris was told that her son’s treatments would continue despite the switch from Healthy Families to Medi-Cal. Harris’s 4-year-old son, Daniel, had just started receiving ABA for autism that he was diagnosed with at age 3.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the short time Daniel had been receiving the therapy, he was already making big gains: making eye contact with people, asking questions, and he ran off less.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But when Daniel was moved to Medi-Cal on April 1, his ABA treatments ended. Harris said Daniel has begun to go backwards, biting his brother, climbing on top of the refrigerator and running off into a parking lot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I am trying to tend to my son and help him cope day to day,” Harris said in a press release. “It is nearly impossible without the ABA therapy on which we depended. We are devastated that the State has broken its promises to our son and our family.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Half of the children enrolled in Healthy Families have already been switched over to Medi-Cal with the rest moving over in the coming months. With larger numbers of families expected to sign up for Medi-Cal later this year, more children with autism will not be able to access the care that they need.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Advocates are hoping to work with the legislature to get the therapy covered.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s some urgency to it,” said Mike Odeh. “Some children that have already transitioned to Medi-Cal have lost those services but there’s still more transitions to come.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the state capital, Sen. Darrell Steinberg, (D-Sacramento), who has been pushing for autism coverage in both private insurance and Medi-Cal, said he will keep trying.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Unfortunately, this year, there simply wasn't enough room in the budget to fund ABA therapy in Medi-Cal for kids with autism spectrum disorder. I will not give up the fight, however,” Steinberg told \u003ca href=\"http://www.californiahealthline.org/features/2013/california-budget-puts-some-health-care-issues-on-hold.aspx#ixzz2WUpCVTex\" target=\"_blank\">California Healthline\u003c/a>. “It's at the top of my list to get done next year.\"\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/stateofhealth/13276/despite-promises-key-autism-therapy-cut-from-medi-cal",
"authors": [
"8344"
],
"categories": [
"stateofhealth_14",
"stateofhealth_13"
],
"tags": [
"stateofhealth_155"
],
"featImg": "stateofhealth_13282",
"label": "stateofhealth"
},
"stateofhealth_13253": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "stateofhealth_13253",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "stateofhealth",
"id": "13253",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1371230930000
]
},
"parent": 0,
"labelTerm": {
"site": "stateofhealth"
},
"blocks": [],
"publishDate": 1371230930,
"format": "aside",
"disqusTitle": "California Insurance Chief: Bar Anthem from Small Business Marketplace",
"title": "California Insurance Chief: Bar Anthem from Small Business Marketplace",
"headTitle": "State of Health | KQED News",
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cstrong>By Mina Kim, KQED\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California's insurance commissioner Dave Jones says Anthem Blue Cross shouldn't be allowed to sell small business health plans on Covered California, the state's new health insurance marketplace being set up under the requirements of the federal health law. Jones says Anthem, the state's largest insurer, has been engaging in a \"pattern\" of \"excessive\" rate hikes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"It simply cannot be the case that a health insurer can unreasonably gouge its small business customers and not face any consequences whatsoever,\" Jones said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Under state law, Jones can review health plan rate hikes and declare them unreasonable, but he lacks authority to block them.\u003c!--more-->\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Covered California's Peter Lee says he's taking the Commissioner's request into consideration.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"But the first thing we want to make sure is that we have a good mix of plans that have affordable prices and good networks of doctors and hospitals that will serve consumers,\" Lee said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lee already approved Anthem Blue Cross for the state's individual\u003cem> \u003c/em>health plan market. Anthem spokesman Darrel Ng says the company's recent rate increases are all in line with state projections of rising health care costs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"We look forward to working with Covered California to bring these competitive rates to the small group exchange,\" Ng said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Excluding such a large insurer from the small business exchange could reduce competition. Last month, Covered California \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2013/05/23/californias-health-insurance-exchange-sets-plans-premiums-no-apparent-rate-shock/\" target=\"_blank\">released preliminary plans and premiums\u003c/a> for the individual marketplace. The agency is expected to release small business plans and premiums sometime this summer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\n",
"disqusIdentifier": "13253 http://blogs.kqed.org/stateofhealth/?p=13253",
"disqusUrl": "https://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2013/06/14/california-insurance-chief-bar-anthem-from-small-business-marketplace/",
"stats": {
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"hasAudio": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"wordCount": 262,
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"paragraphCount": 11
},
"modified": 1371230930,
"excerpt": "California's insurance commissioner Dave Jones says Anthem Blue Cross shouldn't be allowed to sell small business health plans on Covered California, the state's new health insurance marketplace being set up under the requirements of the federal health law. Jones says Anthem, the state's largest insurer, has been engaging in a \"pattern\" of \"excessive\" rate hikes.\r\n\r\n\"It simply cannot be the case that a health insurer can unreasonably gouge its small business customers and not face any consequences whatsoever,\" Jones said.",
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": "California's insurance commissioner Dave Jones says Anthem Blue Cross shouldn't be allowed to sell small business health plans on Covered California, the state's new health insurance marketplace being set up under the requirements of the federal health law. Jones says Anthem, the state's largest insurer, has been engaging in a "pattern" of "excessive" rate hikes.\r\n\r\n"It simply cannot be the case that a health insurer can unreasonably gouge its small business customers and not face any consequences whatsoever," Jones said.",
"title": "California Insurance Chief: Bar Anthem from Small Business Marketplace | KQED",
"ogDescription": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "California Insurance Chief: Bar Anthem from Small Business Marketplace",
"datePublished": "2013-06-14T10:28:50-07:00",
"dateModified": "2013-06-14T10:28:50-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "california-insurance-chief-bar-anthem-from-small-business-marketplace",
"status": "publish",
"path": "/stateofhealth/13253/california-insurance-chief-bar-anthem-from-small-business-marketplace",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cstrong>By Mina Kim, KQED\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California's insurance commissioner Dave Jones says Anthem Blue Cross shouldn't be allowed to sell small business health plans on Covered California, the state's new health insurance marketplace being set up under the requirements of the federal health law. Jones says Anthem, the state's largest insurer, has been engaging in a \"pattern\" of \"excessive\" rate hikes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"It simply cannot be the case that a health insurer can unreasonably gouge its small business customers and not face any consequences whatsoever,\" Jones said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Under state law, Jones can review health plan rate hikes and declare them unreasonable, but he lacks authority to block them.\u003c!--more-->\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Covered California's Peter Lee says he's taking the Commissioner's request into consideration.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"But the first thing we want to make sure is that we have a good mix of plans that have affordable prices and good networks of doctors and hospitals that will serve consumers,\" Lee said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lee already approved Anthem Blue Cross for the state's individual\u003cem> \u003c/em>health plan market. Anthem spokesman Darrel Ng says the company's recent rate increases are all in line with state projections of rising health care costs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"We look forward to working with Covered California to bring these competitive rates to the small group exchange,\" Ng said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Excluding such a large insurer from the small business exchange could reduce competition. Last month, Covered California \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2013/05/23/californias-health-insurance-exchange-sets-plans-premiums-no-apparent-rate-shock/\" target=\"_blank\">released preliminary plans and premiums\u003c/a> for the individual marketplace. The agency is expected to release small business plans and premiums sometime this summer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/stateofhealth/13253/california-insurance-chief-bar-anthem-from-small-business-marketplace",
"authors": [
"8344"
],
"categories": [
"stateofhealth_166",
"stateofhealth_15",
"stateofhealth_13"
],
"tags": [
"stateofhealth_542"
],
"label": "stateofhealth"
},
"stateofhealth_13153": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "stateofhealth_13153",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "stateofhealth",
"id": "13153",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1370889802000
]
},
"parent": 0,
"labelTerm": {
"site": "stateofhealth"
},
"blocks": [],
"publishDate": 1370889802,
"format": "aside",
"disqusTitle": "'One Step Away From Disaster': Medical Bills Hit African-Americans Hardest",
"title": "'One Step Away From Disaster': Medical Bills Hit African-Americans Hardest",
"headTitle": "State of Health | KQED News",
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cstrong>By Patti Neighmond, \u003ca href=\"http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/06/10/188951911/african-americans-remain-hardest-hit-by-medical-bills\" target=\"_blank\">NPR\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13156\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 300px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-medium wp-image-13156\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/06/mike-portrait-2000_custom-d996cef2127dd9dfba815cff7ee66a17c718587d-s40-300x207.jpg\" alt=\"mike-portrait-2000\" width=\"300\" height=\"207\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mike Jackson has diabetes and high blood pressure. His eye was damaged after he cut back on insulin because he couldn't afford it. (Bryan Terry/NPR)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>For many years, high medical bills have been a leading cause of financial distress and bankruptcy in America. That pressure may be easing ever so slightly, according to\u003ca href=\"http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhis/earlyrelease/problems_paying_medical_bills_january_2011-june_2012.pdf\" target=\"_blank\"> a survey\u003c/a> released earlier this month by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But 1 in 5 Americans still face hardships due to medical costs — and African-Americans continue to be the hardest hit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A poll by NPR, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Harvard School of Public Health found that 24 percent of African-American families say they've had problems paying for needed prescription drugs. The poll is part of NPR's ongoing series, \u003ca href=\"http://www.npr.org/series/189292486/the-view-from-black-america\" target=\"_blank\">The View From Black America.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mike Jackson is one of those people. Jackson, 52, lives in Oklahoma City and works for a major insurance company. He has high blood pressure and hypertension, and has been diabetic for 15 years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Treating these chronic health problems isn't cheap. Jackson's medical bills add up to nearly $500 a month. \"Diabetes alone — just the two medications alone for diabetes would have run $325 a month,\" he says.\u003c!--more-->\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That's \"would have,\" because Jackson couldn't pay. This time last year, he was laid off, got divorced and lost his health benefits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He worried that he wouldn't be able to afford the insulin he needs to control his diabetes, so he started cutting back.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Instead of taking 60 units twice a day, I was taking 30 units twice a day,\" Jackson says. \"The idea behind that was if I watched what I would eat and then stay with the 30 units — I would keep my blood sugar down enough that hopefully it would not be much of a problem.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But cutting back on insulin for eight months did cause problems. Jackson developed numbness in his foot and toes, and nerve damage in his eye — all complications of uncontrolled diabetes. \"My left eye actually shut; wouldn't open,\" Jackson says. \"The muscle for my eyelid won't open.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>An ophthalmologist gave Jackson a discount, but Jackson is still struggling to make payments.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In response to an NPR Facebook callout, 30-year-old Ashley Liggins of Fort Worth, Texas, wrote that she'll never forget being without health insurance and having to decide between medication for high blood pressure, gas for her car, or food for the week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Like Jackson, Liggins also tried to stretch out the medication she had by reducing the dose and even borrowing pills from her mother. \"I was really worried,\" says Liggins, who now works in the financial services industry. \"High blood pressure runs in my family.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A single mother of two wrote to us about being sued for unpaid medical bills totaling nearly $5,000. She has no idea how she'll pay. She, too, has high blood pressure, a common worry among African-Americans in our poll.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One in 3 African-Americans surveyed said they, too, had serious problems paying bills from doctors or hospitals in the past year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"We specifically asked African-American families what were the top concerns they had for health in their own families,\" says Robert Blendon, a professor of health policy at the Harvard School of Public Health, who partnered with NPR for this survey. \"And we ended up with high blood pressure, stroke and diabetes as being the top.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That's in contrast with other national surveys, where cancer and other types of illnesses are often raised as the biggest concerns.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And even though most of the people in this poll did have health insurance, nearly half still worried that if they suffered a major illness in the future, they wouldn't be able to pay for medical care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"We found general economic insecurity among families who generally were doing well,\" says Blendon, \"and this fear of paying a larger medical bill was just one of the top problems they had.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Mike Jackson, covering the cost of caring for a chronic health problem became impossible. He's now working, but it's a temporary job that doesn't offer health benefits. And Jackson worries every day about the future.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"It's one of those things where, if something happens to my car or to me healthwise, I'm in trouble. If anything goes wrong, I'm one step away from disaster.\"\u003c/p>\n\n",
"disqusIdentifier": "13153 http://blogs.kqed.org/stateofhealth/?p=13153",
"disqusUrl": "https://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2013/06/10/one-step-away-from-disaster-medical-bills-hit-african-americans-hardest/",
"stats": {
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"hasAudio": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"wordCount": 754,
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"paragraphCount": 23
},
"modified": 1370994415,
"excerpt": "For many years, high medical bills have been a leading cause of financial distress and bankruptcy in America. That pressure may be easing ever so slightly, according to a survey released earlier this month by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.\r\n\r\nBut 1 in 5 Americans still face hardships due to medical costs — and African-Americans continue to be the hardest hit.\r\n\r\nA poll by NPR, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Harvard School of Public Health found that 24 percent of African-American families say they've had problems paying for needed prescription drugs. The poll is part of NPR's ongoing series, The View From Black America.",
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": "For many years, high medical bills have been a leading cause of financial distress and bankruptcy in America. That pressure may be easing ever so slightly, according to a survey released earlier this month by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.\r\n\r\nBut 1 in 5 Americans still face hardships due to medical costs — and African-Americans continue to be the hardest hit.\r\n\r\nA poll by NPR, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Harvard School of Public Health found that 24 percent of African-American families say they've had problems paying for needed prescription drugs. The poll is part of NPR's ongoing series, The View From Black America.",
"title": "'One Step Away From Disaster': Medical Bills Hit African-Americans Hardest | KQED",
"ogDescription": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "'One Step Away From Disaster': Medical Bills Hit African-Americans Hardest",
"datePublished": "2013-06-10T11:43:22-07:00",
"dateModified": "2013-06-11T16:46:55-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "one-step-away-from-disaster-medical-bills-hit-african-americans-hardest",
"status": "publish",
"path": "/stateofhealth/13153/one-step-away-from-disaster-medical-bills-hit-african-americans-hardest",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cstrong>By Patti Neighmond, \u003ca href=\"http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/06/10/188951911/african-americans-remain-hardest-hit-by-medical-bills\" target=\"_blank\">NPR\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_13156\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 300px\">\u003cimg class=\"size-medium wp-image-13156\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/06/mike-portrait-2000_custom-d996cef2127dd9dfba815cff7ee66a17c718587d-s40-300x207.jpg\" alt=\"mike-portrait-2000\" width=\"300\" height=\"207\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mike Jackson has diabetes and high blood pressure. His eye was damaged after he cut back on insulin because he couldn't afford it. (Bryan Terry/NPR)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>For many years, high medical bills have been a leading cause of financial distress and bankruptcy in America. That pressure may be easing ever so slightly, according to\u003ca href=\"http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhis/earlyrelease/problems_paying_medical_bills_january_2011-june_2012.pdf\" target=\"_blank\"> a survey\u003c/a> released earlier this month by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But 1 in 5 Americans still face hardships due to medical costs — and African-Americans continue to be the hardest hit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A poll by NPR, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Harvard School of Public Health found that 24 percent of African-American families say they've had problems paying for needed prescription drugs. The poll is part of NPR's ongoing series, \u003ca href=\"http://www.npr.org/series/189292486/the-view-from-black-america\" target=\"_blank\">The View From Black America.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mike Jackson is one of those people. Jackson, 52, lives in Oklahoma City and works for a major insurance company. He has high blood pressure and hypertension, and has been diabetic for 15 years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Treating these chronic health problems isn't cheap. Jackson's medical bills add up to nearly $500 a month. \"Diabetes alone — just the two medications alone for diabetes would have run $325 a month,\" he says.\u003c!--more-->\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That's \"would have,\" because Jackson couldn't pay. This time last year, he was laid off, got divorced and lost his health benefits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He worried that he wouldn't be able to afford the insulin he needs to control his diabetes, so he started cutting back.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"Instead of taking 60 units twice a day, I was taking 30 units twice a day,\" Jackson says. \"The idea behind that was if I watched what I would eat and then stay with the 30 units — I would keep my blood sugar down enough that hopefully it would not be much of a problem.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But cutting back on insulin for eight months did cause problems. Jackson developed numbness in his foot and toes, and nerve damage in his eye — all complications of uncontrolled diabetes. \"My left eye actually shut; wouldn't open,\" Jackson says. \"The muscle for my eyelid won't open.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>An ophthalmologist gave Jackson a discount, but Jackson is still struggling to make payments.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In response to an NPR Facebook callout, 30-year-old Ashley Liggins of Fort Worth, Texas, wrote that she'll never forget being without health insurance and having to decide between medication for high blood pressure, gas for her car, or food for the week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Like Jackson, Liggins also tried to stretch out the medication she had by reducing the dose and even borrowing pills from her mother. \"I was really worried,\" says Liggins, who now works in the financial services industry. \"High blood pressure runs in my family.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A single mother of two wrote to us about being sued for unpaid medical bills totaling nearly $5,000. She has no idea how she'll pay. She, too, has high blood pressure, a common worry among African-Americans in our poll.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One in 3 African-Americans surveyed said they, too, had serious problems paying bills from doctors or hospitals in the past year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"We specifically asked African-American families what were the top concerns they had for health in their own families,\" says Robert Blendon, a professor of health policy at the Harvard School of Public Health, who partnered with NPR for this survey. \"And we ended up with high blood pressure, stroke and diabetes as being the top.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That's in contrast with other national surveys, where cancer and other types of illnesses are often raised as the biggest concerns.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And even though most of the people in this poll did have health insurance, nearly half still worried that if they suffered a major illness in the future, they wouldn't be able to pay for medical care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"We found general economic insecurity among families who generally were doing well,\" says Blendon, \"and this fear of paying a larger medical bill was just one of the top problems they had.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Mike Jackson, covering the cost of caring for a chronic health problem became impossible. He's now working, but it's a temporary job that doesn't offer health benefits. And Jackson worries every day about the future.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"It's one of those things where, if something happens to my car or to me healthwise, I'm in trouble. If anything goes wrong, I'm one step away from disaster.\"\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/stateofhealth/13153/one-step-away-from-disaster-medical-bills-hit-african-americans-hardest",
"authors": [
"240"
],
"categories": [
"stateofhealth_13"
],
"tags": [
"stateofhealth_482"
],
"featImg": "stateofhealth_13156",
"label": "stateofhealth"
},
"stateofhealth_12706": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "stateofhealth_12706",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "stateofhealth",
"id": "12706",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1368559320000
]
},
"parent": 0,
"labelTerm": {
"site": "stateofhealth"
},
"blocks": [],
"publishDate": 1368559320,
"format": "aside",
"disqusTitle": "Why Angelina Jolie's 'Medical Choice' Is Likely Not Yours ",
"title": "Why Angelina Jolie's 'Medical Choice' Is Likely Not Yours ",
"headTitle": "State of Health | KQED News",
"content": "\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12715\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 620px\">\u003ca href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/foreignoffice/7296732418/\">\u003cimg class=\"size-large wp-image-12715\" title=\"\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/05/angelinajolie_foreignandcommonwealthoffice-620x603.jpg\" alt=\"(Foreign and Commonwealth Office/Flickr)\" width=\"620\" height=\"603\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(Foreign and Commonwealth Office/Flickr)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Angelina Jolie lit up social media Tuesday morning with her announcement that she recently had a preventive double mastectomy. She took this route, she says, because she carries a specific BRCA1 mutation -- putting her at an 87 percent risk of developing breast cancer and a 50 percent risk of ovarian cancer. You can read everything about her history in her New York Times piece, \"\u003ca href=\"http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/14/opinion/my-medical-choice.html\" target=\"_blank\">My Medical Choice\u003c/a>.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the key here is a\u003cem> specific\u003c/em> BRCA1 mutation. There are many different mutations that can occur in the BRCA gene. Jolie is very careful to walk through all her personal decisions stemming from her unusually high risk, but emphasizes that \"the risk is different in the case of each woman.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>About \u003ca href=\"http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/BRCA\" target=\"_blank\">10 percent\u003c/a> of all breast cancers are due to those many BRCA mutations. Dr. Otis Brawley, chief medical officer with the American Cancer Society, \u003ca href=\"http://acspressroom.wordpress.com/2013/05/14/jolie/\" target=\"_blank\">explains in more detail\u003c/a> what individual women should consider, in a response to Jolie's piece:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>This does not mean every woman needs a blood test to determine their genetic risk for breast and/or ovarian cancer. What it does mean is women should know their cancer family history and discuss it with their regular provider. If appropriate, they should be referred to and have the opportunity to discuss their risk and their options with a genetic specialist.\u003c!--more-->\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Insurance plans created before the passage of the Affordable Care Act are not required to cover the costs of genetic counseling, testing, and any surgery to reduce the risk of breast cancer. Under the Affordable Care Act, new plans are required to cover the costs of counseling and testing for breast cancer risk. There is no such mandate for the coverage of surgery.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A prophylactic (preventive) mastectomy, removing both breasts before cancer is diagnosed, can greatly reduce the risk of breast cancer, by as much as 97%. It does not completely prevent breast cancer because even a very careful surgeon will leave behind a small amount of breast tissue, which can go on to become cancerous.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Women with BRCA mutations associated with a high risk of breast cancer, confirmed by testing, and with a strong family history of breast cancer, a previous breast cancer, and who show signs of certain pre-cancerous conditions are among those who could benefit from the surgery. A woman with a mutation of known significance must consider her quantifiable risk in making the very personal decision to have her breasts and ovaries removed or pursuing other options, such as more extensive screening for breast and ovarian cancer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Experts recommend women proceed cautiously, and receive a second opinion before deciding to have this surgery. The American Cancer Society Board of Directors has stated that 'only very strong clinical and/or pathologic indications warrant doing this type of preventive operation.' Nonetheless, after careful consideration, this might be the right choice for some women.\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>For some women, yes. But, while mutations in the BRCA genes are fairly rare, the majority of women opting for preventive mastectomy are not at elevated risk, as \u003ca href=\"http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/05/14/183892507/angelina-jolie-and-the-rise-of-preventive-mastectomies\" target=\"_blank\">NPR's Shots blog notes\u003c/a>:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>\"We found that women who have cancer in one breast overestimate their risk of cancer in the other breast by sixfold,\" says \u003ca href=\"http://www.surg.umn.edu/Faculty_Alpha/tuttle_todd_m/home.html\">Todd Tuttle\u003c/a>, chief of surgical oncology at the University of Minnesota. \"It's very exaggerated.\" ...\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Increased awareness of breast cancer due to the ubiquitous pink ribbon campaigns could be fueling the rise in prophylactic mastectomies, some people say. \"Women have this exaggerated perceived risk of getting breast cancer,\" Tuttle told Shots. \"They see breast cancer everywhere.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There has not been an increase in prophylactic mastectomy in Europe, Tuttle notes, though women there have access to the same surgery and reconstruction. \"I wonder if part of the difference is this hyperawareness of breast cancer.\"\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>Berkeley-based journalist Peggy Orenstein \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2013/04/26/berkeley-journalist-takes-on-the-feel-good-war-on-breast-cancer/\" target=\"_blank\">took on the hyperawareness\u003c/a> of breast cancer in another New York Times venue, its Sunday magazine. Orenstein was first diagnosed with breast cancer 16 years ago. She had a lumpectomy plus radiation, then suffered a recurrence last year. Her only option was mastectomy, which she had on the affected breast. Yet she opted against preventive mastectomy on the other side. \u003ca href=\"http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/28/magazine/our-feel-good-war-on-breast-cancer.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0\" target=\"_blank\">From her article\u003c/a>:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>My first instinct this round was to have my other breast removed as well — I never wanted to go through this again. My oncologist argued against it. The tamoxifen would lower my risk of future disease to that of an average woman, he said. Would an average woman cut off her breasts? I could have preventive surgery if I wanted to, he added, but it would be a psychological decision, not a medical one.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I weighed the options as my hospital date approached. Average risk, after all, is not zero. Could I live with that? Part of me still wanted to extinguish all threat. I have a 9-year-old daughter; I would do anything — I need to do \u003cem>everything\u003c/em> — to keep from dying. Yet, if death was the issue, the greatest danger wasn’t my other breast. It is that, despite treatment and a good prognosis, the cancer I’ve already had has metastasized. Preventive mastectomy wouldn’t change that; nor would it entirely eliminate the possibility of new disease, because there’s always some tissue left behind.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What did doing “everything” mean, anyway? There are days when I skip sunscreen. I don’t exercise as much as I should. I haven’t given up aged Gouda despite my latest cholesterol count; I don’t get enough calcium. And, oh, yeah, my house is six blocks from a fault line. Is living with a certain amount of breast-cancer risk really so different? I decided to take my doctor’s advice, to do only what had to be done.\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, at Breast Cancer Action, spokeswoman Angela Wall points out that Jolie had access to \"all the information she needs.\" But in the interest of stating the obvious, that is not the case for every woman.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The genetic test for \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2013/04/12/breast-cancer-gene-mutations-at-heart-of-supreme-court-case/\" target=\"_blank\">BRCA mutations\u003c/a> is held tightly by Myriad Genetics, so tightly that \u003ca href=\"http://science.kqed.org/quest/audio/bay-area-biotech-industry-braces-for-gene-patenting-court-case/\" target=\"_blank\">a case questioning whether human genes are patentabl\u003c/a>e has made it the U.S. Supreme Court. Wall says that laboratories across the country could offer a comparable test for a fraction of the cost -- potentially opening up the test to more women -- but Myriad will not license it, making its $3,000 test a monopoly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While Wall is supportive of Jolie's decision (\"This is an impossible decision and women do not make this choice lightly\"), she says the answer to breast cancer is not prophylactic mastectomy, it's prevention.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"It we want to get really serious about preventing breast cancer,\" she practically fumed over the phone, \"we need to do a lot more than celebrating a woman who has preventive mastectomy. ... What about all the other risk factors? The environmental risk factors?\" She advocates that what is needed are strong regulations to limit or ban known toxins that cause breast cancer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Learn more:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://health.clevelandclinic.org/2012/10/breast-cancer-do-your-genes-put-you-at-risk/?utm_campaign=cc+tweets&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_content=130514+breast+cancer+genes&dynid=twitter-_-cc+tweets-_-social-_-social-_-130514+breast+cancer+genes\" target=\"_blank\">Breast Cancer -- Do Your Genes Put You At Risk? \u003c/a>(Cleveland Clinic)\u003c/p>\n\n",
"disqusIdentifier": "12706 http://blogs.kqed.org/stateofhealth/?p=12706",
"disqusUrl": "https://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2013/05/14/why-angelina-jolies-medical-choice-is-likely-not-yours/",
"stats": {
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"hasAudio": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"wordCount": 1200,
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"paragraphCount": 24
},
"modified": 1371247216,
"excerpt": "Angelina Jolie lit up social media Tuesday morning with her announcement that she recently had a preventive double mastectomy. She took this route, she says, because she carries a specific BRCA1 mutation -- putting her at an 87 percent risk of developing breast cancer and a 50 percent risk of ovarian cancer. You can read everything about her history in her New York Times op-ed piece.\r\n\r\nBut the key here is a specific BRCA1 mutation. There are many different mutations that can occur in the BRCA gene. Jolile is very careful to walk through all her personal decisions stemming from her unusually high risk but qualifies that \"the risk is different in the case of each woman.\"",
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": "Angelina Jolie lit up social media Tuesday morning with her announcement that she recently had a preventive double mastectomy. She took this route, she says, because she carries a specific BRCA1 mutation -- putting her at an 87 percent risk of developing breast cancer and a 50 percent risk of ovarian cancer. You can read everything about her history in her New York Times op-ed piece.\r\n\r\nBut the key here is a specific BRCA1 mutation. There are many different mutations that can occur in the BRCA gene. Jolile is very careful to walk through all her personal decisions stemming from her unusually high risk but qualifies that "the risk is different in the case of each woman."",
"title": "Why Angelina Jolie's 'Medical Choice' Is Likely Not Yours | KQED",
"ogDescription": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "Why Angelina Jolie's 'Medical Choice' Is Likely Not Yours ",
"datePublished": "2013-05-14T12:22:00-07:00",
"dateModified": "2013-06-14T15:00:16-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "why-angelina-jolies-medical-choice-is-likely-not-yours",
"status": "publish",
"path": "/stateofhealth/12706/why-angelina-jolies-medical-choice-is-likely-not-yours",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12715\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 620px\">\u003ca href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/foreignoffice/7296732418/\">\u003cimg class=\"size-large wp-image-12715\" title=\"\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/05/angelinajolie_foreignandcommonwealthoffice-620x603.jpg\" alt=\"(Foreign and Commonwealth Office/Flickr)\" width=\"620\" height=\"603\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(Foreign and Commonwealth Office/Flickr)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Angelina Jolie lit up social media Tuesday morning with her announcement that she recently had a preventive double mastectomy. She took this route, she says, because she carries a specific BRCA1 mutation -- putting her at an 87 percent risk of developing breast cancer and a 50 percent risk of ovarian cancer. You can read everything about her history in her New York Times piece, \"\u003ca href=\"http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/14/opinion/my-medical-choice.html\" target=\"_blank\">My Medical Choice\u003c/a>.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the key here is a\u003cem> specific\u003c/em> BRCA1 mutation. There are many different mutations that can occur in the BRCA gene. Jolie is very careful to walk through all her personal decisions stemming from her unusually high risk, but emphasizes that \"the risk is different in the case of each woman.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>About \u003ca href=\"http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/BRCA\" target=\"_blank\">10 percent\u003c/a> of all breast cancers are due to those many BRCA mutations. Dr. Otis Brawley, chief medical officer with the American Cancer Society, \u003ca href=\"http://acspressroom.wordpress.com/2013/05/14/jolie/\" target=\"_blank\">explains in more detail\u003c/a> what individual women should consider, in a response to Jolie's piece:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>This does not mean every woman needs a blood test to determine their genetic risk for breast and/or ovarian cancer. What it does mean is women should know their cancer family history and discuss it with their regular provider. If appropriate, they should be referred to and have the opportunity to discuss their risk and their options with a genetic specialist.\u003c!--more-->\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Insurance plans created before the passage of the Affordable Care Act are not required to cover the costs of genetic counseling, testing, and any surgery to reduce the risk of breast cancer. Under the Affordable Care Act, new plans are required to cover the costs of counseling and testing for breast cancer risk. There is no such mandate for the coverage of surgery.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A prophylactic (preventive) mastectomy, removing both breasts before cancer is diagnosed, can greatly reduce the risk of breast cancer, by as much as 97%. It does not completely prevent breast cancer because even a very careful surgeon will leave behind a small amount of breast tissue, which can go on to become cancerous.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Women with BRCA mutations associated with a high risk of breast cancer, confirmed by testing, and with a strong family history of breast cancer, a previous breast cancer, and who show signs of certain pre-cancerous conditions are among those who could benefit from the surgery. A woman with a mutation of known significance must consider her quantifiable risk in making the very personal decision to have her breasts and ovaries removed or pursuing other options, such as more extensive screening for breast and ovarian cancer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Experts recommend women proceed cautiously, and receive a second opinion before deciding to have this surgery. The American Cancer Society Board of Directors has stated that 'only very strong clinical and/or pathologic indications warrant doing this type of preventive operation.' Nonetheless, after careful consideration, this might be the right choice for some women.\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>For some women, yes. But, while mutations in the BRCA genes are fairly rare, the majority of women opting for preventive mastectomy are not at elevated risk, as \u003ca href=\"http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/05/14/183892507/angelina-jolie-and-the-rise-of-preventive-mastectomies\" target=\"_blank\">NPR's Shots blog notes\u003c/a>:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>\"We found that women who have cancer in one breast overestimate their risk of cancer in the other breast by sixfold,\" says \u003ca href=\"http://www.surg.umn.edu/Faculty_Alpha/tuttle_todd_m/home.html\">Todd Tuttle\u003c/a>, chief of surgical oncology at the University of Minnesota. \"It's very exaggerated.\" ...\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Increased awareness of breast cancer due to the ubiquitous pink ribbon campaigns could be fueling the rise in prophylactic mastectomies, some people say. \"Women have this exaggerated perceived risk of getting breast cancer,\" Tuttle told Shots. \"They see breast cancer everywhere.\"\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There has not been an increase in prophylactic mastectomy in Europe, Tuttle notes, though women there have access to the same surgery and reconstruction. \"I wonder if part of the difference is this hyperawareness of breast cancer.\"\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>Berkeley-based journalist Peggy Orenstein \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2013/04/26/berkeley-journalist-takes-on-the-feel-good-war-on-breast-cancer/\" target=\"_blank\">took on the hyperawareness\u003c/a> of breast cancer in another New York Times venue, its Sunday magazine. Orenstein was first diagnosed with breast cancer 16 years ago. She had a lumpectomy plus radiation, then suffered a recurrence last year. Her only option was mastectomy, which she had on the affected breast. Yet she opted against preventive mastectomy on the other side. \u003ca href=\"http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/28/magazine/our-feel-good-war-on-breast-cancer.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0\" target=\"_blank\">From her article\u003c/a>:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>My first instinct this round was to have my other breast removed as well — I never wanted to go through this again. My oncologist argued against it. The tamoxifen would lower my risk of future disease to that of an average woman, he said. Would an average woman cut off her breasts? I could have preventive surgery if I wanted to, he added, but it would be a psychological decision, not a medical one.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I weighed the options as my hospital date approached. Average risk, after all, is not zero. Could I live with that? Part of me still wanted to extinguish all threat. I have a 9-year-old daughter; I would do anything — I need to do \u003cem>everything\u003c/em> — to keep from dying. Yet, if death was the issue, the greatest danger wasn’t my other breast. It is that, despite treatment and a good prognosis, the cancer I’ve already had has metastasized. Preventive mastectomy wouldn’t change that; nor would it entirely eliminate the possibility of new disease, because there’s always some tissue left behind.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What did doing “everything” mean, anyway? There are days when I skip sunscreen. I don’t exercise as much as I should. I haven’t given up aged Gouda despite my latest cholesterol count; I don’t get enough calcium. And, oh, yeah, my house is six blocks from a fault line. Is living with a certain amount of breast-cancer risk really so different? I decided to take my doctor’s advice, to do only what had to be done.\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, at Breast Cancer Action, spokeswoman Angela Wall points out that Jolie had access to \"all the information she needs.\" But in the interest of stating the obvious, that is not the case for every woman.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The genetic test for \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2013/04/12/breast-cancer-gene-mutations-at-heart-of-supreme-court-case/\" target=\"_blank\">BRCA mutations\u003c/a> is held tightly by Myriad Genetics, so tightly that \u003ca href=\"http://science.kqed.org/quest/audio/bay-area-biotech-industry-braces-for-gene-patenting-court-case/\" target=\"_blank\">a case questioning whether human genes are patentabl\u003c/a>e has made it the U.S. Supreme Court. Wall says that laboratories across the country could offer a comparable test for a fraction of the cost -- potentially opening up the test to more women -- but Myriad will not license it, making its $3,000 test a monopoly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While Wall is supportive of Jolie's decision (\"This is an impossible decision and women do not make this choice lightly\"), she says the answer to breast cancer is not prophylactic mastectomy, it's prevention.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\"It we want to get really serious about preventing breast cancer,\" she practically fumed over the phone, \"we need to do a lot more than celebrating a woman who has preventive mastectomy. ... What about all the other risk factors? The environmental risk factors?\" She advocates that what is needed are strong regulations to limit or ban known toxins that cause breast cancer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Learn more:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://health.clevelandclinic.org/2012/10/breast-cancer-do-your-genes-put-you-at-risk/?utm_campaign=cc+tweets&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_content=130514+breast+cancer+genes&dynid=twitter-_-cc+tweets-_-social-_-social-_-130514+breast+cancer+genes\" target=\"_blank\">Breast Cancer -- Do Your Genes Put You At Risk? \u003c/a>(Cleveland Clinic)\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/stateofhealth/12706/why-angelina-jolies-medical-choice-is-likely-not-yours",
"authors": [
"240"
],
"categories": [
"stateofhealth_12",
"stateofhealth_13"
],
"tags": [
"stateofhealth_518",
"stateofhealth_46",
"stateofhealth_461"
],
"featImg": "stateofhealth_12715",
"label": "stateofhealth"
},
"stateofhealth_11935": {
"type": "posts",
"id": "stateofhealth_11935",
"meta": {
"index": "posts_1716263798",
"site": "stateofhealth",
"id": "11935",
"score": null,
"sort": [
1365034440000
]
},
"parent": 0,
"labelTerm": {
"site": "stateofhealth"
},
"blocks": [],
"publishDate": 1365034440,
"format": "aside",
"disqusTitle": "Schools Struggle to Provide Dental Health Safety Net",
"title": "Schools Struggle to Provide Dental Health Safety Net",
"headTitle": "State of Health | KQED News",
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dental disease at the intersection of school performance and health for thousands of California children\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>By Jane Meredith Adams\u003c/em>, \u003ca href=\"http://www.edsource.org/today/2013/schools-struggle-to-provide-dental-health-safety-net/29167#.UVy3xb_JDHh\" target=\"_blank\">EdSource Today\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11944\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 224px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2013/04/03/schools-struggle-to-provide-dental-health-safety-net/kids_alamedacopublichealthdept/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-11944\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-11944\" title=\"\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/04/kids_AlamedaCoPublicHealthDept.jpg\" alt=\"Students learn how to care for their teeth and receive preventive care at a dental clinic at James Madison Middle School in Oakland. (Photo/Alameda County Public Health Department)\" width=\"224\" height=\"224\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/04/kids_AlamedaCoPublicHealthDept.jpg 224w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/04/kids_AlamedaCoPublicHealthDept-32x32.jpg 32w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/04/kids_AlamedaCoPublicHealthDept-64x64.jpg 64w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/04/kids_AlamedaCoPublicHealthDept-96x96.jpg 96w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/04/kids_AlamedaCoPublicHealthDept-128x128.jpg 128w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/04/kids_AlamedaCoPublicHealthDept-75x75.jpg 75w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 224px) 100vw, 224px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Students learn how to care for their teeth and receive preventive care at a dental clinic at James Madison Middle School in Oakland. (Photo/Alameda County Public Health Department)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>As California educators grapple with boosting student achievement across economic lines, the teeth of poor children are holding them back.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hundreds of thousands of children suffering from dental disease, some with teeth rotted to the gum line, are presenting California school districts with a widespread public health problem.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Increasingly, dental health advocates are looking to school districts to help solve the crisis. Innovative oral health care projects have been launched in school districts around the state that provide students with no-cost dental screening or treatment. Insurance companies are billed whenever possible.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dental disease is at “epidemic” levels among California children, \u003ca title=\"2010 US Surgeon General Report on Oral Health\" href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/616913-phr125000158.html\" target=\"_blank\">according to the U.S. Surgeon General\u003c/a>, and low-income children are disproportionately affected. They are 12 times more likely to miss school because of dental problems than children from higher-income families.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"pullquote alignleft\">Students with toothaches were almost four times as likely to have a lower grade point average than students with healthy teeth.\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>“The issue is huge,” said Gordon Jackson, director of the state Department of Education’s division which oversees health, counseling and other support programs provided at schools. “Tooth decay remains one of the most chronic diseases for children and adolescents. As we’re having the conversation about California’s future and student academic achievement, we have to have a conversation about oral health as well.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But many districts lack the resources, or balk at being asked to provide dental care on top of a rigorous curriculum.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s a great idea to bring universal prevention programs of all types, including dental, to schools,” said Kimberly Uyeda, director of student medical services for the Los Angeles Unified School District. “Whether there’s enough time in the day is another question.”\u003c!--more-->\u003c/p>\n\u003ch4>\u003cstrong>Lost revenue\u003c/strong>\u003c/h4>\n\u003cp>Still, schools have a vested interest in helping solve the problem.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dental problems keep California students out of school an estimated 874,000 days a year, costing schools about $29.7 million in lost attendance based-funding, according to the 2007 California Health Interview Survey, conducted by researchers at UCLA.\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2013/04/03/schools-struggle-to-provide-dental-health-safety-net/dental_infographic_to-post/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-11946\">\u003cimg class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-11946\" title=\"\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/04/Dental_infographic_to-post.jpg\" alt=\"Dental_infographic_to-post\" width=\"300\" height=\"540\">\u003c/a>Dental health also affects student performance. Students with toothaches were almost four times as likely to have a lower grade point average than students with healthy teeth, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/609845-the-impact-of-oral-health-on-the-academic.html\" target=\"_blank\">2012 study\u003c/a> by the USC School of Dentistry.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\n\u003cp>Advocates say the dental health crisis is exacerbated by the \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/609584-tcp-fix-medical-dental-final.html\" target=\"_blank\">failure of Medi-Cal’s dental program\u003c/a>, called Denti-Cal, to adequately serve low-income children, \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/609596-calif-dental-assoc-journal-032012-school-clinics.html\" target=\"_blank\">lack of funding\u003c/a> for a state school-based dental disease prevention program for low-income children, and the lack of money to enforce existing state laws requiring oral screenings and preventive care for school children.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>School-based dental clinics can play a large part in the solution, given the holes in the state’s safety net. One model is to house dental care inside a school-based medical clinic. Some 61 school-based health clinics, out of about 200 in California, offer dental screening or treatment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Outside of a school setting, finding a dentist who accepts Denti-Cal is a significant obstacle for low-income children. California’s reimbursement rates to Denti-Cal dentists are among the lowest in the nation, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/609584-tcp-fix-medical-dental-final.html\" target=\"_blank\">recent report\u003c/a> by The Children’s Partnership.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The numbers of low-income children who need care are expected to increase when the Affordable Care Act -- including its Medi-Cal expansion -- is fully implemented. Come January 1, nearly half of California’s children will be Denti-Cal patients, according to The Children’s Partnership report.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The implications are clear, advocates say. “You’ve got to bring the services to the children,” said Roseann Mulligan, with the USC School of Dentistry and one of the authors of the study regarding oral health and student achievement.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch4>Reaching students\u003c/h4>\n\u003cp>A number of districts are doing just that. Some of the dental services are financially self-sustaining through billing to insurers, while others rely on grants and partnerships. The goal is for all clinics to become self-sustaining.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Two days a week, inside the sleek new student health center housed at \u003ca href=\"http://www.ousd.k12.ca.us/Page/9002\" target=\"_blank\">James Madison Middle School\u003c/a> in Oakland, students spend about 50 minutes during physical education class period or the “sixth period” extra time in a baby-blue dental chair. A hygienist screens students for tooth decay, cleans teeth, and applies fluoride varnish and sealants. The clinic, which doesn’t provide fillings or other restorative dentistry, accepts dental insurance and Denti-Cal, and provides free service to the uninsured. Services are funded by the Alameda County Public Health Department and The Atlantic Philanthropies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another model is a mobile dental clinic. In the San Diego Unified School District, the La Maestra Mobile Health Clinic, which includes dental services, began operating in fall 2012 to provide fillings and restorative dentistry to students at the Hoover Cluster of schools: 10 elementary schools, two middle schools, and one high school in the \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2013/03/29/on-campus-clinics-a-safety-net-for-neighborhood-children/\" target=\"_blank\">City Heights neighborhood\u003c/a>, an area of high need.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What we are trying to do is make it a positive experience,” said Dorothy Zirkle, a consultant for \u003ca href=\"http://www.pricecharities.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Price Charities\u003c/a>, a nonprofit dedicated to improving the quality of life for children in City Heights. “Our kids have a high need for multiple fillings. We need to build trust.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>All services are no-cost, with providers seeking reimbursement from insurers when possible. Among the organizations funding the facilities and services at the mobile dental clinic are \u003ca href=\"http://www.lamaestra.org/\" target=\"_blank\">La Maestra Community Health Centers\u003c/a>, private foundations including the City Heights Partnership for Children, and the Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A third model is a partnership with a nearby dental college to offer expanded services for students. In the \u003ca href=\"http://emcsd.schoolwebportal.com/\" target=\"_blank\">El Monte City School District\u003c/a>, students receive comprehensive dental care at two dental clinics housed in elementary schools, as well as from a mobile dental unit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Advocates say these programs and others like them are key to helping solve the dental health crisis facing California students.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Data that show the connection between oral health and student achievement will help persuade districts to support school-based dental care, said Maryjane Puffer, executive director of the Los Angeles Trust for Children’s Health, a nonprofit founded to serve students in LA Unified.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“School districts are eager to find a way to help kids stay in school and achieve,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Learn more:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://www.kqed.org/news/story/2013/04/03/118857/californias_most_common_childhood_health_problem_dental_disease?category=bay+area\" target=\"_blank\">California's Most Common Childhood Health Problem? Dental Disease\u003c/a> (KQED Public Radio)\u003c/p>\n\n",
"disqusIdentifier": "11935 http://blogs.kqed.org/stateofhealth/?p=11935",
"disqusUrl": "https://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2013/04/03/schools-struggle-to-provide-dental-health-safety-net/",
"stats": {
"hasVideo": false,
"hasChartOrMap": false,
"hasAudio": false,
"hasPolis": false,
"wordCount": 1166,
"hasGoogleForm": false,
"hasGallery": false,
"hasHearkenModule": false,
"iframeSrcs": [],
"paragraphCount": 30
},
"modified": 1365102033,
"excerpt": "As California educators grapple with boosting student achievement across economic lines, the teeth of poor children are holding them back.\r\n\r\nHundreds of thousands of children suffering from dental disease, some with teeth rotted to the gum line, are presenting California school districts with a widespread public health problem.\r\n\r\nIncreasingly, dental health advocates are looking to school districts to help solve the crisis. Innovative oral health care projects have been launched in school districts around the state that provide students with no-cost dental screening or treatment. Insurance companies are billed whenever possible.",
"headData": {
"twImgId": "",
"twTitle": "",
"ogTitle": "",
"ogImgId": "",
"twDescription": "",
"description": "As California educators grapple with boosting student achievement across economic lines, the teeth of poor children are holding them back.\r\n\r\nHundreds of thousands of children suffering from dental disease, some with teeth rotted to the gum line, are presenting California school districts with a widespread public health problem.\r\n\r\nIncreasingly, dental health advocates are looking to school districts to help solve the crisis. Innovative oral health care projects have been launched in school districts around the state that provide students with no-cost dental screening or treatment. Insurance companies are billed whenever possible.",
"title": "Schools Struggle to Provide Dental Health Safety Net | KQED",
"ogDescription": "",
"schema": {
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "Schools Struggle to Provide Dental Health Safety Net",
"datePublished": "2013-04-03T17:14:00-07:00",
"dateModified": "2013-04-04T12:00:33-07:00",
"image": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png"
}
},
"guestAuthors": [],
"slug": "schools-struggle-to-provide-dental-health-safety-net",
"status": "publish",
"path": "/stateofhealth/11935/schools-struggle-to-provide-dental-health-safety-net",
"audioTrackLength": null,
"parsedContent": [
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Dental disease at the intersection of school performance and health for thousands of California children\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>By Jane Meredith Adams\u003c/em>, \u003ca href=\"http://www.edsource.org/today/2013/schools-struggle-to-provide-dental-health-safety-net/29167#.UVy3xb_JDHh\" target=\"_blank\">EdSource Today\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11944\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 224px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2013/04/03/schools-struggle-to-provide-dental-health-safety-net/kids_alamedacopublichealthdept/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-11944\">\u003cimg class=\"size-full wp-image-11944\" title=\"\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/04/kids_AlamedaCoPublicHealthDept.jpg\" alt=\"Students learn how to care for their teeth and receive preventive care at a dental clinic at James Madison Middle School in Oakland. (Photo/Alameda County Public Health Department)\" width=\"224\" height=\"224\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/04/kids_AlamedaCoPublicHealthDept.jpg 224w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/04/kids_AlamedaCoPublicHealthDept-32x32.jpg 32w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/04/kids_AlamedaCoPublicHealthDept-64x64.jpg 64w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/04/kids_AlamedaCoPublicHealthDept-96x96.jpg 96w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/04/kids_AlamedaCoPublicHealthDept-128x128.jpg 128w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/27/2013/04/kids_AlamedaCoPublicHealthDept-75x75.jpg 75w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 224px) 100vw, 224px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Students learn how to care for their teeth and receive preventive care at a dental clinic at James Madison Middle School in Oakland. (Photo/Alameda County Public Health Department)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>As California educators grapple with boosting student achievement across economic lines, the teeth of poor children are holding them back.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hundreds of thousands of children suffering from dental disease, some with teeth rotted to the gum line, are presenting California school districts with a widespread public health problem.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Increasingly, dental health advocates are looking to school districts to help solve the crisis. Innovative oral health care projects have been launched in school districts around the state that provide students with no-cost dental screening or treatment. Insurance companies are billed whenever possible.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "fullwidth"
},
"numeric": [
"fullwidth"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dental disease is at “epidemic” levels among California children, \u003ca title=\"2010 US Surgeon General Report on Oral Health\" href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/616913-phr125000158.html\" target=\"_blank\">according to the U.S. Surgeon General\u003c/a>, and low-income children are disproportionately affected. They are 12 times more likely to miss school because of dental problems than children from higher-income families.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"pullquote alignleft\">Students with toothaches were almost four times as likely to have a lower grade point average than students with healthy teeth.\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>“The issue is huge,” said Gordon Jackson, director of the state Department of Education’s division which oversees health, counseling and other support programs provided at schools. “Tooth decay remains one of the most chronic diseases for children and adolescents. As we’re having the conversation about California’s future and student academic achievement, we have to have a conversation about oral health as well.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But many districts lack the resources, or balk at being asked to provide dental care on top of a rigorous curriculum.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s a great idea to bring universal prevention programs of all types, including dental, to schools,” said Kimberly Uyeda, director of student medical services for the Los Angeles Unified School District. “Whether there’s enough time in the day is another question.”\u003c!--more-->\u003c/p>\n\u003ch4>\u003cstrong>Lost revenue\u003c/strong>\u003c/h4>\n\u003cp>Still, schools have a vested interest in helping solve the problem.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dental problems keep California students out of school an estimated 874,000 days a year, costing schools about $29.7 million in lost attendance based-funding, according to the 2007 California Health Interview Survey, conducted by researchers at UCLA.\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2013/04/03/schools-struggle-to-provide-dental-health-safety-net/dental_infographic_to-post/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-11946\">\u003cimg class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-11946\" title=\"\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2013/04/Dental_infographic_to-post.jpg\" alt=\"Dental_infographic_to-post\" width=\"300\" height=\"540\">\u003c/a>Dental health also affects student performance. Students with toothaches were almost four times as likely to have a lower grade point average than students with healthy teeth, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/609845-the-impact-of-oral-health-on-the-academic.html\" target=\"_blank\">2012 study\u003c/a> by the USC School of Dentistry.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\n\u003cp>Advocates say the dental health crisis is exacerbated by the \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/609584-tcp-fix-medical-dental-final.html\" target=\"_blank\">failure of Medi-Cal’s dental program\u003c/a>, called Denti-Cal, to adequately serve low-income children, \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/609596-calif-dental-assoc-journal-032012-school-clinics.html\" target=\"_blank\">lack of funding\u003c/a> for a state school-based dental disease prevention program for low-income children, and the lack of money to enforce existing state laws requiring oral screenings and preventive care for school children.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>School-based dental clinics can play a large part in the solution, given the holes in the state’s safety net. One model is to house dental care inside a school-based medical clinic. Some 61 school-based health clinics, out of about 200 in California, offer dental screening or treatment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Outside of a school setting, finding a dentist who accepts Denti-Cal is a significant obstacle for low-income children. California’s reimbursement rates to Denti-Cal dentists are among the lowest in the nation, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/609584-tcp-fix-medical-dental-final.html\" target=\"_blank\">recent report\u003c/a> by The Children’s Partnership.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The numbers of low-income children who need care are expected to increase when the Affordable Care Act -- including its Medi-Cal expansion -- is fully implemented. Come January 1, nearly half of California’s children will be Denti-Cal patients, according to The Children’s Partnership report.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The implications are clear, advocates say. “You’ve got to bring the services to the children,” said Roseann Mulligan, with the USC School of Dentistry and one of the authors of the study regarding oral health and student achievement.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch4>Reaching students\u003c/h4>\n\u003cp>A number of districts are doing just that. Some of the dental services are financially self-sustaining through billing to insurers, while others rely on grants and partnerships. The goal is for all clinics to become self-sustaining.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Two days a week, inside the sleek new student health center housed at \u003ca href=\"http://www.ousd.k12.ca.us/Page/9002\" target=\"_blank\">James Madison Middle School\u003c/a> in Oakland, students spend about 50 minutes during physical education class period or the “sixth period” extra time in a baby-blue dental chair. A hygienist screens students for tooth decay, cleans teeth, and applies fluoride varnish and sealants. The clinic, which doesn’t provide fillings or other restorative dentistry, accepts dental insurance and Denti-Cal, and provides free service to the uninsured. Services are funded by the Alameda County Public Health Department and The Atlantic Philanthropies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another model is a mobile dental clinic. In the San Diego Unified School District, the La Maestra Mobile Health Clinic, which includes dental services, began operating in fall 2012 to provide fillings and restorative dentistry to students at the Hoover Cluster of schools: 10 elementary schools, two middle schools, and one high school in the \u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/stateofhealth/2013/03/29/on-campus-clinics-a-safety-net-for-neighborhood-children/\" target=\"_blank\">City Heights neighborhood\u003c/a>, an area of high need.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What we are trying to do is make it a positive experience,” said Dorothy Zirkle, a consultant for \u003ca href=\"http://www.pricecharities.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Price Charities\u003c/a>, a nonprofit dedicated to improving the quality of life for children in City Heights. “Our kids have a high need for multiple fillings. We need to build trust.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>All services are no-cost, with providers seeking reimbursement from insurers when possible. Among the organizations funding the facilities and services at the mobile dental clinic are \u003ca href=\"http://www.lamaestra.org/\" target=\"_blank\">La Maestra Community Health Centers\u003c/a>, private foundations including the City Heights Partnership for Children, and the Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A third model is a partnership with a nearby dental college to offer expanded services for students. In the \u003ca href=\"http://emcsd.schoolwebportal.com/\" target=\"_blank\">El Monte City School District\u003c/a>, students receive comprehensive dental care at two dental clinics housed in elementary schools, as well as from a mobile dental unit.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Advocates say these programs and others like them are key to helping solve the dental health crisis facing California students.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Data that show the connection between oral health and student achievement will help persuade districts to support school-based dental care, said Maryjane Puffer, executive director of the Los Angeles Trust for Children’s Health, a nonprofit founded to serve students in LA Unified.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“School districts are eager to find a way to help kids stay in school and achieve,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Learn more:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
},
{
"type": "component",
"content": "",
"name": "ad",
"attributes": {
"named": {
"label": "floatright"
},
"numeric": [
"floatright"
]
}
},
{
"type": "contentString",
"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://www.kqed.org/news/story/2013/04/03/118857/californias_most_common_childhood_health_problem_dental_disease?category=bay+area\" target=\"_blank\">California's Most Common Childhood Health Problem? Dental Disease\u003c/a> (KQED Public Radio)\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
"attributes": {
"named": {},
"numeric": []
}
}
],
"link": "/stateofhealth/11935/schools-struggle-to-provide-dental-health-safety-net",
"authors": [
"8344"
],
"categories": [
"stateofhealth_11",
"stateofhealth_13"
],
"tags": [
"stateofhealth_96",
"stateofhealth_396"
],
"featImg": "stateofhealth_11944",
"label": "stateofhealth"
}
},
"podcastsReducer": {
"isFetching": false,
"fetchFailed": false,
"hasFetched": false,
"podcasts": {}
},
"radioProgramsReducer": {
"isFetching": false,
"fetchFailed": false,
"hasFetched": false,
"radioPrograms": {}
},
"radioSearchSegmentsReducer": {},
"programsReducer": {
"all-things-considered": {
"id": "all-things-considered",
"title": "All Things Considered",
"info": "Every weekday, \u003cem>All Things Considered\u003c/em> hosts Robert Siegel, Audie Cornish, Ari Shapiro, and Kelly McEvers present the program's trademark mix of news, interviews, commentaries, reviews, and offbeat features. Michel Martin hosts on the weekends.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 1pm-2pm, 4:30pm-6:30pm\u003cbr />SAT-SUN 5pm-6pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/All-Things-Considered-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/all-things-considered/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/all-things-considered"
},
"american-suburb-podcast": {
"id": "american-suburb-podcast",
"title": "American Suburb: The Podcast",
"tagline": "The flip side of gentrification, told through one town",
"info": "Gentrification is changing cities across America, forcing people from neighborhoods they have long called home. Call them the displaced. Now those priced out of the Bay Area are looking for a better life in an unlikely place. American Suburb follows this migration to one California town along the Delta, 45 miles from San Francisco. But is this once sleepy suburb ready for them?",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/American-Suburb-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/news/series/american-suburb-podcast",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 19
},
"link": "/news/series/american-suburb-podcast/",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/RBrW",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?mt=2&id=1287748328",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/American-Suburb-p1086805/",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/series/american-suburb-podcast/feed/podcast",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkMzMDExODgxNjA5"
}
},
"baycurious": {
"id": "baycurious",
"title": "Bay Curious",
"tagline": "Exploring the Bay Area, one question at a time",
"info": "KQED’s new podcast, Bay Curious, gets to the bottom of the mysteries — both profound and peculiar — that give the Bay Area its unique identity. And we’ll do it with your help! You ask the questions. You decide what Bay Curious investigates. And you join us on the journey to find the answers.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Bay-Curious-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Bay Curious",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/news/series/baycurious",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 3
},
"link": "/podcasts/baycurious",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bay-curious/id1172473406",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/500557090/bay-curious",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/category/bay-curious-podcast/feed/podcast",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9a90d476-aa04-455d-9a4c-0871ed6216d4/bay-curious",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/bay-curious",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/6O76IdmhixfijmhTZLIJ8k"
}
},
"bbc-world-service": {
"id": "bbc-world-service",
"title": "BBC World Service",
"info": "The day's top stories from BBC News compiled twice daily in the week, once at weekends.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 9pm-10pm, TUE-FRI 1am-2am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/BBC-World-Service-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/live:bbc_world_service",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "BBC World Service"
},
"link": "/radio/program/bbc-world-service",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/global-news-podcast/id135067274?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/BBC-World-Service-p455581/",
"rss": "https://podcasts.files.bbci.co.uk/p02nq0gn.rss"
}
},
"californiareport": {
"id": "californiareport",
"title": "The California Report",
"tagline": "California, day by day",
"info": "KQED’s statewide radio news program providing daily coverage of issues, trends and public policy decisions.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-California-Report-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The California Report",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/californiareport",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 8
},
"link": "/californiareport",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kqeds-the-california-report/id79681292",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/26099305-72af-4542-9dde-ac1807fe36d5/kqed-s-the-california-report",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/432285393/the-california-report",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqedfm-kqeds-the-california-report-podcast-8838",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/tag/tcram/feed/podcast"
}
},
"californiareportmagazine": {
"id": "californiareportmagazine",
"title": "The California Report Magazine",
"tagline": "Your state, your stories",
"info": "Every week, The California Report Magazine takes you on a road trip for the ears: to visit the places and meet the people who make California unique. The in-depth storytelling podcast from the California Report.",
"airtime": "FRI 4:30pm-5pm, 6:30pm-7pm, 11pm-11:30pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-California-Report-Magazine-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The California Report Magazine",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/californiareportmagazine",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 10
},
"link": "/californiareportmagazine",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-california-report-magazine/id1314750545",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM3NjkwNjk1OTAz",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/564733126/the-california-report-magazine",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/the-california-report-magazine",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/tag/tcrmag/feed/podcast"
}
},
"city-arts": {
"id": "city-arts",
"title": "City Arts & Lectures",
"info": "A one-hour radio program to hear celebrated writers, artists and thinkers address contemporary ideas and values, often discussing the creative process. Please note: tapes or transcripts are not available",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/05/cityartsandlecture-300x300.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.cityarts.net/",
"airtime": "SUN 1pm-2pm, TUE 10pm, WED 1am",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "City Arts & Lectures"
},
"link": "https://www.cityarts.net",
"subscribe": {
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/City-Arts-and-Lectures-p692/",
"rss": "https://www.cityarts.net/feed/"
}
},
"closealltabs": {
"id": "closealltabs",
"title": "Close All Tabs",
"tagline": "Your irreverent guide to the trends redefining our world",
"info": "Close All Tabs breaks down how digital culture shapes our world through thoughtful insights and irreverent humor.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/CAT_2_Tile-scaled.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Close All Tabs",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/closealltabs",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 1
},
"link": "/podcasts/closealltabs",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/close-all-tabs/id214663465",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC6993880386",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/92d9d4ac-67a3-4eed-b10a-fb45d45b1ef2/close-all-tabs",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/6LAJFHnGK1pYXYzv6SIol6?si=deb0cae19813417c"
}
},
"code-switch-life-kit": {
"id": "code-switch-life-kit",
"title": "Code Switch / Life Kit",
"info": "\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em>, which listeners will hear in the first part of the hour, has fearless and much-needed conversations about race. Hosted by journalists of color, the show tackles the subject of race head-on, exploring how it impacts every part of society — from politics and pop culture to history, sports and more.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em>, which will be in the second part of the hour, guides you through spaces and feelings no one prepares you for — from finances to mental health, from workplace microaggressions to imposter syndrome, from relationships to parenting. The show features experts with real world experience and shares their knowledge. Because everyone needs a little help being human.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510312/codeswitch\">\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/lifekit\">\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />",
"airtime": "SUN 9pm-10pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Code-Switch-Life-Kit-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/code-switch-life-kit",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/1112190608?mt=2&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnByLm9yZy9yc3MvcG9kY2FzdC5waHA_aWQ9NTEwMzEy",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/3bExJ9JQpkwNhoHvaIIuyV",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510312/podcast.xml"
}
},
"commonwealth-club": {
"id": "commonwealth-club",
"title": "Commonwealth Club of California Podcast",
"info": "The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. As a non-partisan forum, The Club brings to the public airwaves diverse viewpoints on important topics. The Club's weekly radio broadcast - the oldest in the U.S., dating back to 1924 - is carried across the nation on public radio stations and is now podcasting. Our website archive features audio of our recent programs, as well as selected speeches from our long and distinguished history. This podcast feed is usually updated twice a week and is always un-edited.",
"airtime": "THU 10pm, FRI 1am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Commonwealth-Club-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.commonwealthclub.org/podcasts",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "Commonwealth Club of California"
},
"link": "/radio/program/commonwealth-club",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/commonwealth-club-of-california-podcast/id976334034?mt=2",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5jb21tb253ZWFsdGhjbHViLm9yZy9hdWRpby9wb2RjYXN0L3dlZWtseS54bWw",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Commonwealth-Club-of-California-p1060/"
}
},
"forum": {
"id": "forum",
"title": "Forum",
"tagline": "The conversation starts here",
"info": "KQED’s live call-in program discussing local, state, national and international issues, as well as in-depth interviews.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 9am-11am, 10pm-11pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Forum-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Forum with Mina Kim and Alexis Madrigal",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/forum",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 9
},
"link": "/forum",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kqeds-forum/id73329719",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM5NTU3MzgxNjMz",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/432307980/forum",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqedfm-kqeds-forum-podcast",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC9557381633"
}
},
"freakonomics-radio": {
"id": "freakonomics-radio",
"title": "Freakonomics Radio",
"info": "Freakonomics Radio is a one-hour award-winning podcast and public-radio project hosted by Stephen Dubner, with co-author Steve Levitt as a regular guest. It is produced in partnership with WNYC.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/05/freakonomicsRadio.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://freakonomics.com/",
"airtime": "SUN 1am-2am, SAT 3pm-4pm",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "WNYC"
},
"link": "/radio/program/freakonomics-radio",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/4s8b",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/freakonomics-radio/id354668519",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/WNYC-Podcasts/Freakonomics-Radio-p272293/",
"rss": "https://feeds.feedburner.com/freakonomicsradio"
}
},
"fresh-air": {
"id": "fresh-air",
"title": "Fresh Air",
"info": "Hosted by Terry Gross, \u003cem>Fresh Air from WHYY\u003c/em> is the Peabody Award-winning weekday magazine of contemporary arts and issues. One of public radio's most popular programs, Fresh Air features intimate conversations with today's biggest luminaries.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 7pm-8pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Fresh-Air-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/fresh-air/",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/fresh-air",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/4s8b",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=214089682&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Fresh-Air-p17/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/381444908/podcast.xml"
}
},
"here-and-now": {
"id": "here-and-now",
"title": "Here & Now",
"info": "A live production of NPR and WBUR Boston, in collaboration with stations across the country, Here & Now reflects the fluid world of news as it's happening in the middle of the day, with timely, in-depth news, interviews and conversation. Hosted by Robin Young, Jeremy Hobson and Tonya Mosley.",
"airtime": "MON-THU 11am-12pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Here-And-Now-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://www.wbur.org/hereandnow",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/here-and-now",
"subsdcribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?mt=2&id=426698661",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Here--Now-p211/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510051/podcast.xml"
}
},
"hidden-brain": {
"id": "hidden-brain",
"title": "Hidden Brain",
"info": "Shankar Vedantam uses science and storytelling to reveal the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, shape our choices and direct our relationships.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/05/hiddenbrain.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/series/423302056/hidden-brain",
"airtime": "SUN 7pm-8pm",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "NPR"
},
"link": "/radio/program/hidden-brain",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/hidden-brain/id1028908750?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/Science-Podcasts/Hidden-Brain-p787503/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510308/podcast.xml"
}
},
"how-i-built-this": {
"id": "how-i-built-this",
"title": "How I Built This with Guy Raz",
"info": "Guy Raz dives into the stories behind some of the world's best known companies. How I Built This weaves a narrative journey about innovators, entrepreneurs and idealists—and the movements they built.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/05/howIBuiltThis.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510313/how-i-built-this",
"airtime": "SUN 7:30pm-8pm",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/how-i-built-this",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/3zxy",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-built-this-with-guy-raz/id1150510297?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/Arts--Culture-Podcasts/How-I-Built-This-p910896/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510313/podcast.xml"
}
},
"hyphenacion": {
"id": "hyphenacion",
"title": "Hyphenación",
"tagline": "Where conversation and cultura meet",
"info": "What kind of no sabo word is Hyphenación? For us, it’s about living within a hyphenation. Like being a third-gen Mexican-American from the Texas border now living that Bay Area Chicano life. Like Xorje! Each week we bring together a couple of hyphenated Latinos to talk all about personal life choices: family, careers, relationships, belonging … everything is on the table. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Hyphenacion_FinalAssets_PodcastTile.png",
"imageAlt": "KQED Hyphenación",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 15
},
"link": "/podcasts/hyphenacion",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hyphenaci%C3%B3n/id1191591838",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/2p3Fifq96nw9BPcmFdIq0o?si=39209f7b25774f38",
"youtube": "https://www.youtube.com/c/kqedarts",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/6c3dd23c-93fb-4aab-97ba-1725fa6315f1/hyphenaci%C3%B3n",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC2275451163"
}
},
"jerrybrown": {
"id": "jerrybrown",
"title": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown",
"tagline": "Lessons from a lifetime in politics",
"info": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown brings listeners the wisdom of the former Governor, Mayor, and presidential candidate. Scott Shafer interviewed Brown for more than 40 hours, covering the former governor's life and half-century in the political game – and Brown has some lessons he'd like to share. ",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Political-Mind-of-Jerry-Brown-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The Political Mind of Jerry Brown",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 18
},
"link": "/podcasts/jerrybrown",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/790253322/the-political-mind-of-jerry-brown",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1492194549",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/series/jerrybrown/feed/podcast/",
"tuneIn": "http://tun.in/pjGcK",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/the-political-mind-of-jerry-brown",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/54C1dmuyFyKMFttY6X2j6r?si=K8SgRCoISNK6ZbjpXrX5-w",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/44420f75-3b0e-4301-ab3b-16da6b09e543/the-political-mind-of-jerry-brown"
}
},
"latino-usa": {
"id": "latino-usa",
"title": "Latino USA",
"airtime": "MON 1am-2am, SUN 6pm-7pm",
"info": "Latino USA, the radio journal of news and culture, is the only national, English-language radio program produced from a Latino perspective.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/latinoUsa.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://latinousa.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/latino-usa",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/xtTd",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=79681317&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Latino-USA-p621/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510016/podcast.xml"
}
},
"marketplace": {
"id": "marketplace",
"title": "Marketplace",
"info": "Our flagship program, helmed by Kai Ryssdal, examines what the day in money delivered, through stories, conversations, newsworthy numbers and more. Updated Monday through Friday at about 3:30 p.m. PT.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 4pm-4:30pm, MON-WED 6:30pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Marketplace-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.marketplace.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "American Public Media"
},
"link": "/radio/program/marketplace",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=201853034&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/APM-Marketplace-p88/",
"rss": "https://feeds.publicradio.org/public_feeds/marketplace-pm/rss/rss"
}
},
"masters-of-scale": {
"id": "masters-of-scale",
"title": "Masters of Scale",
"info": "Masters of Scale is an original podcast in which LinkedIn co-founder and Greylock Partner Reid Hoffman sets out to describe and prove theories that explain how great entrepreneurs take their companies from zero to a gazillion in ingenious fashion.",
"airtime": "Every other Wednesday June 12 through October 16 at 8pm (repeats Thursdays at 2am)",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Masters-of-Scale-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://mastersofscale.com/",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "WaitWhat"
},
"link": "/radio/program/masters-of-scale",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "http://mastersofscale.app.link/",
"rss": "https://rss.art19.com/masters-of-scale"
}
},
"mindshift": {
"id": "mindshift",
"title": "MindShift",
"tagline": "A podcast about the future of learning and how we raise our kids",
"info": "The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Mindshift-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED MindShift: How We Will Learn",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/mindshift/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 12
},
"link": "/podcasts/mindshift",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mindshift-podcast/id1078765985",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1NzY0NjAwNDI5",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/464615685/mind-shift-podcast",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/stories-teachers-share",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/0MxSpNYZKNprFLCl7eEtyx"
}
},
"morning-edition": {
"id": "morning-edition",
"title": "Morning Edition",
"info": "\u003cem>Morning Edition\u003c/em> takes listeners around the country and the world with multi-faceted stories and commentaries every weekday. Hosts Steve Inskeep, David Greene and Rachel Martin bring you the latest breaking news and features to prepare you for the day.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3am-9am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Morning-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/morning-edition/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/morning-edition"
},
"onourwatch": {
"id": "onourwatch",
"title": "On Our Watch",
"tagline": "Deeply-reported investigative journalism",
"info": "For decades, the process for how police police themselves has been inconsistent – if not opaque. In some states, like California, these proceedings were completely hidden. After a new police transparency law unsealed scores of internal affairs files, our reporters set out to examine these cases and the shadow world of police discipline. On Our Watch brings listeners into the rooms where officers are questioned and witnesses are interrogated to find out who this system is really protecting. Is it the officers, or the public they've sworn to serve?",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/On-Our-Watch-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "On Our Watch from NPR and KQED",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 11
},
"link": "/podcasts/onourwatch",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1567098962",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5ucHIub3JnLzUxMDM2MC9wb2RjYXN0LnhtbD9zYz1nb29nbGVwb2RjYXN0cw",
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/onourwatch",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/0OLWoyizopu6tY1XiuX70x",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/On-Our-Watch-p1436229/",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/show/on-our-watch",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510360/podcast.xml"
}
},
"on-the-media": {
"id": "on-the-media",
"title": "On The Media",
"info": "Our weekly podcast explores how the media 'sausage' is made, casts an incisive eye on fluctuations in the marketplace of ideas, and examines threats to the freedom of information and expression in America and abroad. For one hour a week, the show tries to lift the veil from the process of \"making media,\" especially news media, because it's through that lens that we see the world and the world sees us",
"airtime": "SUN 2pm-3pm, MON 12am-1am",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/onTheMedia.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/otm",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "wnyc"
},
"link": "/radio/program/on-the-media",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/on-the-media/id73330715?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/On-the-Media-p69/",
"rss": "http://feeds.wnyc.org/onthemedia"
}
},
"pbs-newshour": {
"id": "pbs-newshour",
"title": "PBS NewsHour",
"info": "Analysis, background reports and updates from the PBS NewsHour putting today's news in context.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 3pm-4pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/PBS-News-Hour-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.pbs.org/newshour/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "pbs"
},
"link": "/radio/program/pbs-newshour",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/pbs-newshour-full-show/id394432287?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/PBS-NewsHour---Full-Show-p425698/",
"rss": "https://www.pbs.org/newshour/feeds/rss/podcasts/show"
}
},
"perspectives": {
"id": "perspectives",
"title": "Perspectives",
"tagline": "KQED's series of daily listener commentaries since 1991",
"info": "KQED's series of daily listener commentaries since 1991.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Perspectives_Tile_Final.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Perspectives",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/perspectives/",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 14
},
"link": "/perspectives",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id73801135",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/432309616/perspectives",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/perspectives/category/perspectives/feed/",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93dzIua3FlZC5vcmcvcGVyc3BlY3RpdmVzL2NhdGVnb3J5L3BlcnNwZWN0aXZlcy9mZWVkLw"
}
},
"planet-money": {
"id": "planet-money",
"title": "Planet Money",
"info": "The economy explained. Imagine you could call up a friend and say, Meet me at the bar and tell me what's going on with the economy. Now imagine that's actually a fun evening.",
"airtime": "SUN 3pm-4pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/planetmoney.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/sections/money/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/planet-money",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/M4f5",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/planet-money/id290783428?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/Business--Economics-Podcasts/Planet-Money-p164680/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510289/podcast.xml"
}
},
"politicalbreakdown": {
"id": "politicalbreakdown",
"title": "Political Breakdown",
"tagline": "Politics from a personal perspective",
"info": "Political Breakdown is a new series that explores the political intersection of California and the nation. Each week hosts Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos are joined with a new special guest to unpack politics -- with personality — and offer an insider’s glimpse at how politics happens.",
"airtime": "THU 6:30pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Political-Breakdown-2024-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Political Breakdown",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/politicalbreakdown",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 5
},
"link": "/podcasts/politicalbreakdown",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/political-breakdown/id1327641087",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/e0c2d153-ad36-4c8d-901d-f1da6a724824/political-breakdown",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/572155894/political-breakdown",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/political-breakdown",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/07RVyIjIdk2WDuVehvBMoN",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/tag/political-breakdown/feed/podcast"
}
},
"possible": {
"id": "possible",
"title": "Possible",
"info": "Possible is hosted by entrepreneur Reid Hoffman and writer Aria Finger. Together in Possible, Hoffman and Finger lead enlightening discussions about building a brighter collective future. The show features interviews with visionary guests like Trevor Noah, Sam Altman and Janette Sadik-Khan. Possible paints an optimistic portrait of the world we can create through science, policy, business, art and our shared humanity. It asks: What if everything goes right for once? How can we get there? Each episode also includes a short fiction story generated by advanced AI GPT-4, serving as a thought-provoking springboard to speculate how humanity could leverage technology for good.",
"airtime": "SUN 2pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Possible-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.possible.fm/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "Possible"
},
"link": "/radio/program/possible",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/possible/id1677184070",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/730YpdUSNlMyPQwNnyjp4k"
}
},
"pri-the-world": {
"id": "pri-the-world",
"title": "PRI's The World: Latest Edition",
"info": "Each weekday, host Marco Werman and his team of producers bring you the world's most interesting stories in an hour of radio that reminds us just how small our planet really is.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 2pm-3pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-World-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.pri.org/programs/the-world",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "PRI"
},
"link": "/radio/program/pri-the-world",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/pris-the-world-latest-edition/id278196007?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/News--Politics-Podcasts/PRIs-The-World-p24/",
"rss": "http://feeds.feedburner.com/pri/theworld"
}
},
"radiolab": {
"id": "radiolab",
"title": "Radiolab",
"info": "A two-time Peabody Award-winner, Radiolab is an investigation told through sounds and stories, and centered around one big idea. In the Radiolab world, information sounds like music and science and culture collide. Hosted by Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich, the show is designed for listeners who demand skepticism, but appreciate wonder. WNYC Studios is the producer of other leading podcasts including Freakonomics Radio, Death, Sex & Money, On the Media and many more.",
"airtime": "SUN 12am-1am, SAT 2pm-3pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/radiolab1400.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/radiolab/",
"meta": {
"site": "science",
"source": "WNYC"
},
"link": "/radio/program/radiolab",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/radiolab/id152249110?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/RadioLab-p68032/",
"rss": "https://feeds.wnyc.org/radiolab"
}
},
"reveal": {
"id": "reveal",
"title": "Reveal",
"info": "Created by The Center for Investigative Reporting and PRX, Reveal is public radios first one-hour weekly radio show and podcast dedicated to investigative reporting. Credible, fact based and without a partisan agenda, Reveal combines the power and artistry of driveway moment storytelling with data-rich reporting on critically important issues. The result is stories that inform and inspire, arming our listeners with information to right injustices, hold the powerful accountable and improve lives.Reveal is hosted by Al Letson and showcases the award-winning work of CIR and newsrooms large and small across the nation. In a radio and podcast market crowded with choices, Reveal focuses on important and often surprising stories that illuminate the world for our listeners.",
"airtime": "SAT 4pm-5pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/reveal300px.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.revealnews.org/episodes/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/reveal",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/reveal/id886009669",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Reveal-p679597/",
"rss": "http://feeds.revealradio.org/revealpodcast"
}
},
"rightnowish": {
"id": "rightnowish",
"title": "Rightnowish",
"tagline": "Art is where you find it",
"info": "Rightnowish digs into life in the Bay Area right now… ish. Journalist Pendarvis Harshaw takes us to galleries painted on the sides of liquor stores in West Oakland. We'll dance in warehouses in the Bayview, make smoothies with kids in South Berkeley, and listen to classical music in a 1984 Cutlass Supreme in Richmond. Every week, Pen talks to movers and shakers about how the Bay Area shapes what they create, and how they shape the place we call home.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Rightnowish-Podcast-Tile-500x500-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Rightnowish with Pendarvis Harshaw",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/rightnowish",
"meta": {
"site": "arts",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 16
},
"link": "/podcasts/rightnowish",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/721590300/rightnowish",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/programs/rightnowish/feed/podcast",
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rightnowish/id1482187648",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/rightnowish",
"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkMxMjU5MTY3NDc4",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/7kEJuafTzTVan7B78ttz1I"
}
},
"science-friday": {
"id": "science-friday",
"title": "Science Friday",
"info": "Science Friday is a weekly science talk show, broadcast live over public radio stations nationwide. Each week, the show focuses on science topics that are in the news and tries to bring an educated, balanced discussion to bear on the scientific issues at hand. Panels of expert guests join host Ira Flatow, a veteran science journalist, to discuss science and to take questions from listeners during the call-in portion of the program.",
"airtime": "FRI 11am-1pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Science-Friday-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/science-friday",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/science-friday",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=73329284&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Science-Friday-p394/",
"rss": "http://feeds.wnyc.org/science-friday"
}
},
"snap-judgment": {
"id": "snap-judgment",
"title": "Snap Judgment",
"tagline": "Real stories with killer beats",
"info": "The Snap Judgment radio show and podcast mixes real stories with killer beats to produce cinematic, dramatic radio. Snap's musical brand of storytelling dares listeners to see the world through the eyes of another. This is storytelling... with a BEAT!! Snap first aired on public radio stations nationwide in July 2010. Today, Snap Judgment airs on over 450 public radio stations and is brought to the airwaves by KQED & PRX.",
"airtime": "SAT 1pm-2pm, 9pm-10pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Snap-Judgment-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Snap Judgment",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://snapjudgment.org",
"meta": {
"site": "arts",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 4
},
"link": "https://snapjudgment.org",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/snap-judgment/id283657561",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/449018144/snap-judgment",
"stitcher": "https://www.pandora.com/podcast/snap-judgment/PC:241?source=stitcher-sunset",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/3Cct7ZWmxHNAtLgBTqjC5v",
"rss": "https://snap.feed.snapjudgment.org/"
}
},
"soldout": {
"id": "soldout",
"title": "SOLD OUT: Rethinking Housing in America",
"tagline": "A new future for housing",
"info": "Sold Out: Rethinking Housing in America",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Sold-Out-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Sold Out: Rethinking Housing in America",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/soldout",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 13
},
"link": "/podcasts/soldout",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/911586047/s-o-l-d-o-u-t-a-new-future-for-housing",
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/introducing-sold-out-rethinking-housing-in-america/id1531354937",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/soldout",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/38dTBSk2ISFoPiyYNoKn1X",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/sold-out-rethinking-housing-in-america",
"tunein": "https://tunein.com/radio/SOLD-OUT-Rethinking-Housing-in-America-p1365871/"
}
},
"spooked": {
"id": "spooked",
"title": "Spooked",
"tagline": "True-life supernatural stories",
"info": "",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Spooked-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED Spooked",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://spookedpodcast.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 7
},
"link": "https://spookedpodcast.org/",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/spooked/id1279361017",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/549547848/snap-judgment-presents-spooked",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/76571Rfl3m7PLJQZKQIGCT",
"rss": "https://feeds.simplecast.com/TBotaapn"
}
},
"tech-nation": {
"id": "tech-nation",
"title": "Tech Nation Radio Podcast",
"info": "Tech Nation is a weekly public radio program, hosted by Dr. Moira Gunn. Founded in 1993, it has grown from a simple interview show to a multi-faceted production, featuring conversations with noted technology and science leaders, and a weekly science and technology-related commentary.",
"airtime": "FRI 10pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Tech-Nation-Radio-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://technation.podomatic.com/",
"meta": {
"site": "science",
"source": "Tech Nation Media"
},
"link": "/radio/program/tech-nation",
"subscribe": {
"rss": "https://technation.podomatic.com/rss2.xml"
}
},
"ted-radio-hour": {
"id": "ted-radio-hour",
"title": "TED Radio Hour",
"info": "The TED Radio Hour is a journey through fascinating ideas, astonishing inventions, fresh approaches to old problems, and new ways to think and create.",
"airtime": "SUN 3pm-4pm, SAT 10pm-11pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/tedRadioHour.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/ted-radio-hour/?showDate=2018-06-22",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/ted-radio-hour",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/8vsS",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=523121474&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/TED-Radio-Hour-p418021/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510298/podcast.xml"
}
},
"thebay": {
"id": "thebay",
"title": "The Bay",
"tagline": "Local news to keep you rooted",
"info": "Host Devin Katayama walks you through the biggest story of the day with reporters and newsmakers.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Bay-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The Bay",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/thebay",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 2
},
"link": "/podcasts/thebay",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-bay/id1350043452",
"amazon": "https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/d800ea4c-7a2c-42f2-b861-edaf78a5db0b/the-bay",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/586725995/the-bay",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/the-bay",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/4BIKBKIujizLHlIlBNaAqQ",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC8259786327"
}
},
"thelatest": {
"id": "thelatest",
"title": "The Latest",
"tagline": "Trusted local news in real time",
"info": "",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/The-Latest-2025-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The Latest",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/thelatest",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 6
},
"link": "/thelatest",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-latest-from-kqed/id1197721799",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/1257949365/the-latest-from-k-q-e-d",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/5KIIXMgM9GTi5AepwOYvIZ?si=bd3053fec7244dba",
"rss": "https://feeds.megaphone.fm/KQINC9137121918"
}
},
"theleap": {
"id": "theleap",
"title": "The Leap",
"tagline": "What if you closed your eyes, and jumped?",
"info": "Stories about people making dramatic, risky changes, told by award-winning public radio reporter Judy Campbell.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Leap-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED The Leap",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/podcasts/theleap",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "kqed",
"order": 17
},
"link": "/podcasts/theleap",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-leap/id1046668171",
"npr": "https://www.npr.org/podcasts/447248267/the-leap",
"stitcher": "https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/kqed/the-leap",
"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/3sSlVHHzU0ytLwuGs1SD1U",
"rss": "https://ww2.kqed.org/news/programs/the-leap/feed/podcast"
}
},
"the-moth-radio-hour": {
"id": "the-moth-radio-hour",
"title": "The Moth Radio Hour",
"info": "Since its launch in 1997, The Moth has presented thousands of true stories, told live and without notes, to standing-room-only crowds worldwide. Moth storytellers stand alone, under a spotlight, with only a microphone and a roomful of strangers. The storyteller and the audience embark on a high-wire act of shared experience which is both terrifying and exhilarating. Since 2008, The Moth podcast has featured many of our favorite stories told live on Moth stages around the country. For information on all of our programs and live events, visit themoth.org.",
"airtime": "SAT 8pm-9pm and SUN 11am-12pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/theMoth.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://themoth.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "arts",
"source": "prx"
},
"link": "/radio/program/the-moth-radio-hour",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-moth-podcast/id275699983?mt=2",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/The-Moth-p273888/",
"rss": "http://feeds.themoth.org/themothpodcast"
}
},
"the-new-yorker-radio-hour": {
"id": "the-new-yorker-radio-hour",
"title": "The New Yorker Radio Hour",
"info": "The New Yorker Radio Hour is a weekly program presented by the magazine's editor, David Remnick, and produced by WNYC Studios and The New Yorker. Each episode features a diverse mix of interviews, profiles, storytelling, and an occasional burst of humor inspired by the magazine, and shaped by its writers, artists, and editors. This isn't a radio version of a magazine, but something all its own, reflecting the rich possibilities of audio storytelling and conversation. Theme music for the show was composed and performed by Merrill Garbus of tUnE-YArDs.",
"airtime": "SAT 10am-11am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-New-Yorker-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/tnyradiohour",
"meta": {
"site": "arts",
"source": "WNYC"
},
"link": "/radio/program/the-new-yorker-radio-hour",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1050430296",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/podcasts/WNYC-Podcasts/New-Yorker-Radio-Hour-p803804/",
"rss": "https://feeds.feedburner.com/newyorkerradiohour"
}
},
"the-sam-sanders-show": {
"id": "the-sam-sanders-show",
"title": "The Sam Sanders Show",
"info": "One of public radio's most dynamic voices, Sam Sanders helped launch The NPR Politics Podcast and hosted NPR's hit show It's Been A Minute. Now, the award-winning host returns with something brand new, The Sam Sanders Show. Every week, Sam Sanders and friends dig into the culture that shapes our lives: what's driving the biggest trends, how artists really think, and even the memes you can't stop scrolling past. Sam is beloved for his way of unpacking the world and bringing you up close to fresh currents and engaging conversations. The Sam Sanders Show is smart, funny and always a good time.",
"airtime": "FRI 12-1pm AND SAT 11am-12pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/The-Sam-Sanders-Show-Podcast-Tile-400x400-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.kcrw.com/shows/the-sam-sanders-show/latest",
"meta": {
"site": "arts",
"source": "KCRW"
},
"link": "https://www.kcrw.com/shows/the-sam-sanders-show/latest",
"subscribe": {
"rss": "https://feed.cdnstream1.com/zjb/feed/download/ac/28/59/ac28594c-e1d0-4231-8728-61865cdc80e8.xml"
}
},
"the-splendid-table": {
"id": "the-splendid-table",
"title": "The Splendid Table",
"info": "\u003cem>The Splendid Table\u003c/em> hosts our nation's conversations about cooking, sustainability and food culture.",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-Splendid-Table-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.splendidtable.org/",
"airtime": "SUN 10-11 pm",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/the-splendid-table"
},
"this-american-life": {
"id": "this-american-life",
"title": "This American Life",
"info": "This American Life is a weekly public radio show, heard by 2.2 million people on more than 500 stations. Another 2.5 million people download the weekly podcast. It is hosted by Ira Glass, produced in collaboration with Chicago Public Media, delivered to stations by PRX The Public Radio Exchange, and has won all of the major broadcasting awards.",
"airtime": "SAT 12pm-1pm, 7pm-8pm",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/thisAmericanLife.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.thisamericanlife.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "wbez"
},
"link": "/radio/program/this-american-life",
"subscribe": {
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=201671138&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"rss": "https://www.thisamericanlife.org/podcast/rss.xml"
}
},
"tinydeskradio": {
"id": "tinydeskradio",
"title": "Tiny Desk Radio",
"info": "We're bringing the best of Tiny Desk to the airwaves, only on public radio.",
"airtime": "SUN 8pm and SAT 9pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/300x300-For-Member-Station-Logo-Tiny-Desk-Radio-@2x.png",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/series/g-s1-52030/tiny-desk-radio",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/tinydeskradio",
"subscribe": {
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/g-s1-52030/rss.xml"
}
},
"wait-wait-dont-tell-me": {
"id": "wait-wait-dont-tell-me",
"title": "Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!",
"info": "Peter Sagal and Bill Kurtis host the weekly NPR News quiz show alongside some of the best and brightest news and entertainment personalities.",
"airtime": "SUN 10am-11am, SAT 11am-12pm, SAT 6pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Wait-Wait-Podcast-Tile-300x300-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/wait-wait-dont-tell-me/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/wait-wait-dont-tell-me",
"subscribe": {
"npr": "https://rpb3r.app.goo.gl/Xogv",
"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=121493804&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
"tuneIn": "https://tunein.com/radio/Wait-Wait-Dont-Tell-Me-p46/",
"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/344098539/podcast.xml"
}
},
"weekend-edition-saturday": {
"id": "weekend-edition-saturday",
"title": "Weekend Edition Saturday",
"info": "Weekend Edition Saturday wraps up the week's news and offers a mix of analysis and features on a wide range of topics, including arts, sports, entertainment, and human interest stories. The two-hour program is hosted by NPR's Peabody Award-winning Scott Simon.",
"airtime": "SAT 5am-10am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Weekend-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/weekend-edition-saturday/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/weekend-edition-saturday"
},
"weekend-edition-sunday": {
"id": "weekend-edition-sunday",
"title": "Weekend Edition Sunday",
"info": "Weekend Edition Sunday features interviews with newsmakers, artists, scientists, politicians, musicians, writers, theologians and historians. The program has covered news events from Nelson Mandela's 1990 release from a South African prison to the capture of Saddam Hussein.",
"airtime": "SUN 5am-10am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Weekend-Edition-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.npr.org/programs/weekend-edition-sunday/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "npr"
},
"link": "/radio/program/weekend-edition-sunday"
}
},
"racesReducer": {},
"racesGenElectionReducer": {},
"racesGenElection2026Reducer": {},
"racesGenElection2026PresidentialReducer": {},
"radioSchedulesReducer": {},
"listsReducer": {
"posts/stateofhealth?category=tests-treatments": {
"isFetching": false,
"latestQuery": {
"from": 324,
"size": 12
},
"vitalsOnly": false,
"totalRequested": 12,
"isLoading": false,
"isLoadingMore": true,
"total": {
"value": 411,
"relation": "eq"
},
"items": [
"stateofhealth_14427",
"stateofhealth_14082",
"stateofhealth_13985",
"stateofhealth_13900",
"stateofhealth_13671",
"stateofhealth_13654",
"stateofhealth_13534",
"stateofhealth_13276",
"stateofhealth_13253",
"stateofhealth_13153",
"stateofhealth_12706",
"stateofhealth_11935"
],
"complete": true
}
},
"recallGuideReducer": {
"intros": {},
"policy": {},
"candidates": {}
},
"savedArticleReducer": {
"articles": [],
"status": {}
},
"newslettersReducer": {
"isFetching": false,
"fetchFailed": false,
"hasFetched": false,
"newsletters": {},
"isSubscribing": false,
"isUnsubscribing": false,
"subscribedNewsletters": {}
},
"termsReducer": {
"about": {
"name": "About",
"type": "terms",
"id": "about",
"slug": "about",
"link": "/about",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"arts": {
"name": "Arts & Culture",
"grouping": [
"arts",
"pop",
"trulyca"
],
"description": "KQED Arts provides daily in-depth coverage of the Bay Area's music, art, film, performing arts, literature and arts news, as well as cultural commentary and criticism.",
"type": "terms",
"id": "arts",
"slug": "arts",
"link": "/arts",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"artschool": {
"name": "Art School",
"parent": "arts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "artschool",
"slug": "artschool",
"link": "/artschool",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"bayareabites": {
"name": "KQED food",
"grouping": [
"food",
"bayareabites",
"checkplease"
],
"parent": "food",
"type": "terms",
"id": "bayareabites",
"slug": "bayareabites",
"link": "/food",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"bayareahiphop": {
"name": "Bay Area Hiphop",
"type": "terms",
"id": "bayareahiphop",
"slug": "bayareahiphop",
"link": "/bayareahiphop",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"campaign21": {
"name": "Campaign 21",
"type": "terms",
"id": "campaign21",
"slug": "campaign21",
"link": "/campaign21",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"careers": {
"name": "Careers",
"type": "terms",
"id": "careers",
"slug": "careers",
"link": "/careers",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"checkplease": {
"name": "KQED food",
"grouping": [
"food",
"bayareabites",
"checkplease"
],
"parent": "food",
"type": "terms",
"id": "checkplease",
"slug": "checkplease",
"link": "/food",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"education": {
"name": "Education",
"grouping": [
"education"
],
"type": "terms",
"id": "education",
"slug": "education",
"link": "/education",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"elections": {
"name": "Elections",
"type": "terms",
"id": "elections",
"slug": "elections",
"link": "/elections",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"events": {
"name": "Events",
"type": "terms",
"id": "events",
"slug": "events",
"link": "/events",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"event": {
"name": "Event",
"alias": "events",
"type": "terms",
"id": "event",
"slug": "event",
"link": "/event",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"filmschoolshorts": {
"name": "Film School Shorts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "filmschoolshorts",
"slug": "filmschoolshorts",
"link": "/filmschoolshorts",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"food": {
"name": "KQED food",
"grouping": [
"food",
"bayareabites",
"checkplease"
],
"type": "terms",
"id": "food",
"slug": "food",
"link": "/food",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"forum": {
"name": "Forum",
"relatedContentQuery": "posts/forum?",
"parent": "news",
"type": "terms",
"id": "forum",
"slug": "forum",
"link": "/forum",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"futureofyou": {
"name": "Future of You",
"grouping": [
"science",
"futureofyou"
],
"parent": "science",
"type": "terms",
"id": "futureofyou",
"slug": "futureofyou",
"link": "/futureofyou",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"jpepinheart": {
"name": "KQED food",
"relatedContentQuery": "posts/food,bayareabites,checkplease",
"parent": "food",
"type": "terms",
"id": "jpepinheart",
"slug": "jpepinheart",
"link": "/food",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"liveblog": {
"name": "Live Blog",
"type": "terms",
"id": "liveblog",
"slug": "liveblog",
"link": "/liveblog",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"livetv": {
"name": "Live TV",
"parent": "tv",
"type": "terms",
"id": "livetv",
"slug": "livetv",
"link": "/livetv",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"lowdown": {
"name": "The Lowdown",
"relatedContentQuery": "posts/lowdown?",
"parent": "news",
"type": "terms",
"id": "lowdown",
"slug": "lowdown",
"link": "/lowdown",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"mindshift": {
"name": "Mindshift",
"parent": "news",
"description": "MindShift explores the future of education by highlighting the innovative – and sometimes counterintuitive – ways educators and parents are helping all children succeed.",
"type": "terms",
"id": "mindshift",
"slug": "mindshift",
"link": "/mindshift",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"news": {
"name": "News",
"grouping": [
"news",
"forum"
],
"type": "terms",
"id": "news",
"slug": "news",
"link": "/news",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"newsletters": {
"name": "newsletters",
"type": "terms",
"id": "newsletters",
"slug": "newsletters",
"link": "/newsletters",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"perspectives": {
"name": "Perspectives",
"parent": "radio",
"type": "terms",
"id": "perspectives",
"slug": "perspectives",
"link": "/perspectives",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"podcasts": {
"name": "Podcasts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "podcasts",
"slug": "podcasts",
"link": "/podcasts",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"pop": {
"name": "Pop",
"parent": "arts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "pop",
"slug": "pop",
"link": "/pop",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"pressroom": {
"name": "Pressroom",
"type": "terms",
"id": "pressroom",
"slug": "pressroom",
"link": "/pressroom",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"quest": {
"name": "Quest",
"parent": "science",
"type": "terms",
"id": "quest",
"slug": "quest",
"link": "/quest",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"radio": {
"name": "Radio",
"grouping": [
"forum",
"perspectives"
],
"description": "Listen to KQED Public Radio – home of Forum and The California Report – on 88.5 FM in San Francisco, 89.3 FM in Sacramento, 88.3 FM in Santa Rosa and 88.1 FM in Martinez.",
"type": "terms",
"id": "radio",
"slug": "radio",
"link": "/radio",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"root": {
"name": "KQED",
"image": "https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/2020/02/KQED-OG-Image@1x.png",
"imageWidth": 1200,
"imageHeight": 630,
"headData": {
"title": "KQED | News, Radio, Podcasts, TV | Public Media for Northern California",
"description": "KQED provides public radio, television, and independent reporting on issues that matter to the Bay Area. We’re the NPR and PBS member station for Northern California."
},
"type": "terms",
"id": "root",
"slug": "root",
"link": "/root",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"science": {
"name": "Science",
"grouping": [
"science",
"futureofyou"
],
"description": "KQED Science brings you award-winning science and environment coverage from the Bay Area and beyond.",
"type": "terms",
"id": "science",
"slug": "science",
"link": "/science",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"stateofhealth": {
"name": "State of Health",
"parent": "science",
"type": "terms",
"id": "stateofhealth",
"slug": "stateofhealth",
"link": "/stateofhealth",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"support": {
"name": "Support",
"type": "terms",
"id": "support",
"slug": "support",
"link": "/support",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"thedolist": {
"name": "The Do List",
"parent": "arts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "thedolist",
"slug": "thedolist",
"link": "/thedolist",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"trulyca": {
"name": "Truly CA",
"grouping": [
"arts",
"pop",
"trulyca"
],
"parent": "arts",
"type": "terms",
"id": "trulyca",
"slug": "trulyca",
"link": "/trulyca",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"tv": {
"name": "TV",
"type": "terms",
"id": "tv",
"slug": "tv",
"link": "/tv",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"voterguide": {
"name": "Voter Guide",
"parent": "elections",
"alias": "elections",
"type": "terms",
"id": "voterguide",
"slug": "voterguide",
"link": "/voterguide",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"guiaelectoral": {
"name": "Guia Electoral",
"parent": "elections",
"alias": "elections",
"type": "terms",
"id": "guiaelectoral",
"slug": "guiaelectoral",
"link": "/guiaelectoral",
"taxonomy": "site"
},
"stateofhealth_category_tests-treatments": {
"isLoading": true
},
"stateofhealth_13": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "stateofhealth_13",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "stateofhealth",
"id": "13",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Tests & Treatments",
"description": "Information and new research about advances in discovering and treating diseases and conditions.",
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": "Information and new research about advances in discovering and treating diseases and conditions.",
"title": "Tests & Treatments Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 13,
"slug": "tests-treatments",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/stateofhealth/category/tests-treatments"
},
"stateofhealth_46": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "stateofhealth_46",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "stateofhealth",
"id": "46",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Breast Cancer",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Breast Cancer Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 46,
"slug": "breast-cancer",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/stateofhealth/tag/breast-cancer"
},
"stateofhealth_235": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "stateofhealth_235",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "stateofhealth",
"id": "235",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Overtreatment",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Overtreatment Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 235,
"slug": "overtreatment",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/stateofhealth/tag/overtreatment"
},
"stateofhealth_461": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "stateofhealth_461",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "stateofhealth",
"id": "461",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Science",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Science Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 462,
"slug": "science",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/stateofhealth/tag/science"
},
"stateofhealth_14": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "stateofhealth_14",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "stateofhealth",
"id": "14",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Policy",
"description": "Actions by people in power – lawmakers, regulators and the like – can make a difference to your health, for better or for worse. We keep you informed",
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": "Actions by people in power – lawmakers, regulators and the like – can make a difference to your health, for better or for worse. We keep you informed",
"title": "Policy Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 14,
"slug": "policy",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/stateofhealth/category/policy"
},
"stateofhealth_16": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "stateofhealth_16",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "stateofhealth",
"id": "16",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "cancer",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "cancer Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 16,
"slug": "cancer",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/stateofhealth/tag/cancer"
},
"stateofhealth_176": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "stateofhealth_176",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "stateofhealth",
"id": "176",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Mammograms",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Mammograms Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 176,
"slug": "mammograms",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/stateofhealth/tag/mammograms"
},
"stateofhealth_511": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "stateofhealth_511",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "stateofhealth",
"id": "511",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Overdiagnosis",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Overdiagnosis Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 512,
"slug": "overdiagnosis",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/stateofhealth/tag/overdiagnosis"
},
"stateofhealth_193": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "stateofhealth_193",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "stateofhealth",
"id": "193",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Colon Cancer",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Colon Cancer Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 193,
"slug": "colon-cancer",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/stateofhealth/tag/colon-cancer"
},
"stateofhealth_96": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "stateofhealth_96",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "stateofhealth",
"id": "96",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Children's Health",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Children's Health Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 96,
"slug": "childrens-health",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/stateofhealth/tag/childrens-health"
},
"stateofhealth_77": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "stateofhealth_77",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "stateofhealth",
"id": "77",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Informed Decision Making",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Informed Decision Making Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 77,
"slug": "informed-decision-making",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/stateofhealth/tag/informed-decision-making"
},
"stateofhealth_155": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "stateofhealth_155",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "stateofhealth",
"id": "155",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Autism",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Autism Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 155,
"slug": "autism",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/stateofhealth/tag/autism"
},
"stateofhealth_166": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "stateofhealth_166",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "stateofhealth",
"id": "166",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "KQED blogs",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "KQED blogs Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 166,
"slug": "kqed-blogs",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/stateofhealth/category/kqed-blogs"
},
"stateofhealth_15": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "stateofhealth_15",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "stateofhealth",
"id": "15",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Obamacare",
"description": "The Affordable Care Act celebrates its seventh birthday this year. California has embraced the law, but will it survive a new Congress and President? \r\n",
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": "The Affordable Care Act celebrates its seventh birthday this year. California has embraced the law, but will it survive a new Congress and President?",
"title": "Obamacare Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 15,
"slug": "reform",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/stateofhealth/category/reform"
},
"stateofhealth_542": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "stateofhealth_542",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "stateofhealth",
"id": "542",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Health Insurance Cost",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Health Insurance Cost Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 543,
"slug": "health-insurance-cost",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/stateofhealth/tag/health-insurance-cost"
},
"stateofhealth_482": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "stateofhealth_482",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "stateofhealth",
"id": "482",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Health Care Costs",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Health Care Costs Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 483,
"slug": "health-care-costs",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/stateofhealth/tag/health-care-costs"
},
"stateofhealth_12": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "stateofhealth_12",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "stateofhealth",
"id": "12",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Living Healthy",
"description": "Health is about much more than medicine. We show you what's new to help you attain and maintain a healthy life",
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": "Health is about much more than medicine. We show you what's new to help you attain and maintain a healthy life",
"title": "Living Healthy Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 12,
"slug": "living-healthy",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/stateofhealth/category/living-healthy"
},
"stateofhealth_518": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "stateofhealth_518",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "stateofhealth",
"id": "518",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Angelina Jolie",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "Angelina Jolie Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 519,
"slug": "angelina-jolie",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/stateofhealth/tag/angelina-jolie"
},
"stateofhealth_11": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "stateofhealth_11",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "stateofhealth",
"id": "11",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "Community Health",
"description": "\r\n\r\nFrom rural California to urban neighborhoods, where you live affects your health",
"taxonomy": "category",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": "From rural California to urban neighborhoods, where you live affects your health",
"title": "Community Health Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 11,
"slug": "place-matters",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/stateofhealth/category/place-matters"
},
"stateofhealth_396": {
"type": "terms",
"id": "stateofhealth_396",
"meta": {
"index": "terms_1716263798",
"site": "stateofhealth",
"id": "396",
"found": true
},
"relationships": {},
"featImg": null,
"name": "School Health Centers",
"description": null,
"taxonomy": "tag",
"headData": {
"twImgId": null,
"twTitle": null,
"ogTitle": null,
"ogImgId": null,
"twDescription": null,
"description": null,
"title": "School Health Centers Archives | KQED Arts",
"ogDescription": null
},
"ttid": 397,
"slug": "school-health-centers",
"isLoading": false,
"link": "/stateofhealth/tag/school-health-centers"
}
},
"userPermissionsReducer": {
"wpLoggedIn": false
},
"eventsReducer": {},
"fssReducer": {},
"tvDailyScheduleReducer": {},
"tvWeeklyScheduleReducer": {},
"tvPrimetimeScheduleReducer": {},
"tvMonthlyScheduleReducer": {},
"userAccountReducer": {
"user": {
"email": null,
"emailStatus": "EMAIL_UNVALIDATED",
"loggedStatus": "LOGGED_OUT",
"loggingChecked": false,
"articles": [],
"firstName": null,
"lastName": null,
"phoneNumber": null,
"fetchingMembership": false,
"membershipError": false,
"memberships": [
{
"id": null,
"startDate": null,
"firstName": null,
"lastName": null,
"familyNumber": null,
"memberNumber": null,
"memberSince": null,
"expirationDate": null,
"pfsEligible": false,
"isSustaining": false,
"membershipLevel": "Prospect",
"membershipStatus": "Non Member",
"lastGiftDate": null,
"renewalDate": null,
"lastDonationAmount": null
}
]
},
"authModal": {
"isOpen": false,
"view": "LANDING_VIEW"
},
"error": null
},
"youthMediaReducer": {},
"checkPleaseReducer": {
"filterData": {
"region": {
"key": "Restaurant Region",
"filters": [
"Any Region"
]
},
"cuisine": {
"key": "Restaurant Cuisine",
"filters": [
"Any Cuisine"
]
}
},
"restaurantDataById": {},
"restaurantIdsSorted": [],
"error": null
},
"userAgentReducer": {
"userAgent": "Mozilla/5.0 AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko; compatible; ClaudeBot/1.0; +claudebot@anthropic.com)",
"isBot": true
},
"requestOutcomesReducer": {
"notFound": []
},
"navPromosReducer": {
"isFetching": false,
"fetchFailed": false,
"hasFetched": true,
"promos": {
"news": {
"name": "2026 Voter Guide",
"link": "/voterguide",
"imageURL": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Nav-News-Nov2026ElectionCoverage@2x-7bd4aad4.png",
"description": "Get informed in minutes with our Voter Guide for California’s November 3 election."
},
"podcasts-radio": {},
"video-tv": {},
"events": {},
"support": {}
}
}
}