Episode Details

Episode 74: Breast Cancer Screening. 

Salwa and Veronic discuss who, how, and when to screen for breast cancer. The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine was authorized for use in children 5-11 years of age.

Introduction: Pediatric COVID-19 Vaccines
By Lam Chau, MS3, Ross University School of Medicine

On November 2nd, 2021, the CDC endorsed a unanimous recommendation to allow the use of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5-11 years of age. The White House has secured 28 million pediatric doses of the Pfizer vaccine, enough to cover every child ages 5-11 within the United States without cost. 

The official CDC recommendation is that all children aged 5 and older get vaccinated, regardless of past infection history. The Pfizer vaccine for children is given in two doses, 3 weeks apart.

Individuals older than 12 are given a 30-microgram dose, while pediatric individuals are given a 10-microgram dose. For extra precaution, the pediatric vaccine vials are being shipped with a unique orange cap to clearly distinguish itself from higher dose vaccines. Clinical trials with the lower dose vaccine demonstrated a strong antibody response and a prevention rate of symptomatic COVID-19 of 90%. 

The reported side effects were minimal, and no serious adverse events or myocarditis were reported during the trials. The vaccination of children cannot be understated. The benefits go well beyond just the physiological processes of vaccination. It will foster a safer environment for our children and help improve their emotional and social development. 

While there is still a lot to be done to end the pandemic, this recent announcement is an enormous step in the right direction in returning to normalcy. 

This is Rio Bravo qWeek, your weekly dose of knowledge brought to you by the Rio Bravo Family Medicine Residency Program from Bakersfield, California. Our program is affiliated with UCLA, and it’s sponsored by Clinica Sierra Vista, Let Us Be Your Healthcare Home. 

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Breast Cancer.   
By Salwa Sadiqali, MS3, Ross University Medical School; Veronica Phung, MS3, Ross University School of Medicine; and Hector Arreaza, MD.  

Salwa: Welcome back from Spooky season! Did you see all the flyers and advertisements about Breast cancer awareness last month? 

Veronica: I did! It’s because October was breast cancer awareness month.

Salwa: And spooky season, and of course pumpkin spice season! I got my dose of pumpkin spice this morning. Well, every morning to be exact, Starbucks is my second home. What do you know about breast cancer? 

Veronica: Well...breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide. And, fun fact, I know that Angelina Jolie had an increased risk of breast cancer, so she had surgery to remove them.

Arreaza: I remember it being all over the news back in 2013. It caused “The Angelina Effect.” There was an increase in people searching about breast cancer on the internet. Let’s dive into this topic a bit more. What exactly is breast cancer?

Salwa: It’s a process in which normal cells of the breast start growing too quickly, out of control. It can happen in males too, but it’s much rarer.

Veronica: And there are different types of breast cancers that originate from the different types of tissue in the breast. There’s ductal carcinoma, lobular, inflammatory, Paget’s, and phyllodes to name a few. 

Salwa: Not only are there different types of breast cancers, but some can also be hereditary meaning mutated genetic information is passed on from generation to generation.

Arreaza: That’s what happened with Angelina Jolie. She had a BRCA1 gene mutation. 

Veronica: BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations are the most common causes of hereditary breast cancer. Normally, the BRCA gene helps make proteins that repair damaged DNA. When this gene is mutated, it can’t make tho