To Lani and those scientifically inclined

[Paula O]

Dear Lani,

(or if there's anybody else here that either attended that 1 1/2 hour session on breast density at SABCS and "got it"or did not attend but knows science well and willing to give me a hand, I would be very grateful if you contact me)


I posted you a note in the thread you started on the SABCS 2012 last week but didn't hear back from you. I imagine you, like me, are extremely busy catching up after being away for the symposium.

I am not meaning to bug you but I have been working on my report about breast density for a number of hours trying to understand the material and I feel pretty stuck. You seem like somebody who understands science and research well. I am following up just to be sure you got my
message to you in that thread rather than just assuming not hearing a response means you are not able to help me. Can you please pop me a note by email, here, or on that thread letting me know if I can pick your brain about making sense of the slides ie: explaining CD36's effects, Dr Boyd's work on phenotypes, etc in layman's terms and putting the results of those breast density abstracts in plain english (like an article one might find in "Cure" or similar magazine). I'll try not to take up too much of your time. If you are willing, I'd appreciate
emailing you what I've got so far (a couple pages) or talking with you by phone and getting your input.
I understand the basics of breast density, the increased cancer risk involved, and
that there is buzz about legislation passing requiring radiologists notifying patients about their breast density, and insurance companies balking at further screening when mortality outcome may not be impacted.

If you are not able to help me it would be good for me to know that because the report is due the beginning of January and I am trying to find help somewhere. I like to do excellent work and try my best but so far not so good because I don't really understand the science and need to be able to put down the basics so a non-medical person can
understand it. I am a retired RN and used to be a clinical research nurse but I've forgotten a lot of science and some of those slides might as well be in a foreign language because I honestly don't get it. Anyway, I
would appreciate your help if you are able to do that and if you aren't, I'd appreciate you letting me know that too. Thank you, Paula
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My post in your thread last week:

Lani,

It looks like you aren't reachable with a PM--I tried. I hope I am not
being too bold to ask: I wondered if you possibly would be willing to
help me decipher the take away info in layman's terms on the Mini
Symposium 2: Breast Density: Mechanisms and Clinical Implications. Are
you a scientist? Did you listen in on that session and were you in the
mentoring session that evening? I asked my questions to the medical
panel during that evening mentorring session . I felt that they gave a
good brief overview of Dr Tisty's lecture and limits in the clinical
implications but honestly I could use some help making headway in
understanding and explaining the charts, graphs, etc on the basic
genetics, epidemilogy, and biology. I am finding it very complex and
am supposed to write a 3-5 page paper about those three sessions for
the Alamo Breast Cancer Foundation. Right now I am plowing through my
1 1/2 hours of fast and furious messy notetaking with the slides that
are on line and looking up some past medical write ups on the
implications of breast density, cancer, and survival. So far I'm not
seeing any news articles about the research in that particular session
to glean from but read the one that was published in November (that
you posted here) about the legislation and legal mandates in some
states requiring radiologists to notify women of their breast density
and possible increased cancer risk. I printed out another 5-6 on-line
articles on breast density to go through that I hope will be helpful
in understanding the genetics and science from the symposium that I'm
supposed to write about relating to breast density. Anyway, honestly
alot of this stuff is above my head but I want to do a good job. I'm
going to be in contact with a doc from the medical panel that have
made themselves available to mentor us some in these write ups after I
do some more work on my own but wondered if you could give me a hand
on this as well before I contact them or point me to articles maybe I
am not seeing that were written up after the 2012 symposium putting it
into more understandable terms?

Of course no problem or pressure if it doesn't work out for you to
help me--I thought it wouldn't hurt to ask and I would certainly
appreciate it very much if you are able to give me a hand with
understanding this better.
Thanks,

Paula