Top in women’s health: Importance of breast cancer screening access, early treatment

Women with less access to mammogram screening and women with obesity had higher breast cancer mortality rates, according to a study published in JAMA Network Open.

It was the top story in women’s health last week.

The second top story was a Q&A featuring Neelam V. Desai, MD, who stressed that women should undergo routine breast cancer screenings to catch it early in development.

Read these and more top stories in women’s health below:

US breast cancer mortality rates negatively linked to county-level mammogram access

County-level age-adjusted breast cancer mortality rates were higher among women with less access to mammogram screening and also among women with obesity, according to study results published in JAMA Network Open. Read more.

Q&A: Annual breast cancer screening, early diagnosis important to successful treatment

Women should undergo routine breast cancer screening in order to diagnose and treat breast cancer in its earliest stages for a higher likelihood of treatment success. Read more.

Adding oral piroxicam to levonorgestrel improves emergency contraception efficacy

Oral piroxicam administered along with levonorgestrel improved emergency contraception efficacy without increasing the risk for adverse outcomes, according to trial data published in The Lancet. Read more.

Consider medications, surgery for long-term weight-loss success for midlife women

Midlife women with obesity should be counseled about anti-obesity medications and bariatric surgery in addition to diet, exercise and behavioral therapy for long-term weight-loss success, according to a speaker. Read more.

The gut microbiome influences women’s health beyond digestive symptoms

Susan Weiner, MS, RDN, CDDES, FADCES, spoke with Audrey Fleck, MS, RDN, who specializes in integrative and functional nutrition for women, about how the gut microbiome influences general health and women’s hormonal health. Read more.