The Sentinel

Brem Foundation announces new breast cancer screening tool

Photo: Leeloo Thefirst/PEXELS

by Brett Peveto
Illinois News Connection

CHICAGO - October has been Breast Cancer Awareness Month and in the wake of a recent study showing an increase in the incidence of cancer at younger ages, the Brem Foundation has announced a new online resource to help women assess their cancer risk.

The study, published in August, found from 2010 to 2019 the incidence of early onset cancer increased in women mainly because of cancers of the uterus and breast. The Brem Foundation has released a new online tool called CheckMate, a quiz to help women assess their breast cancer risk and determine if they should seek additional screening.

Dr. Rachel Brem, co-founder and chief medical officer at the foundation, said many women may underestimate their risk for breast cancer.

We have many things in our tool chest that can find early curable breast cancer, like screening breast ultrasound, or MRI.

"We know that the average age of breast cancer is significantly decreasing," Brem pointed out. "So that we really have to get this interactive, easy, quick tool into the hands of everybody, including younger women, because the incidence of breast cancer is happening in younger and younger women."

In the past, the only tool for finding breast cancer early was X-ray mammograms. Brem noted in recent years, many advances in screening technology have taken place and now early detection is far better.

"We have many things in our tool chest that can find early curable breast cancer, like screening breast ultrasound, or MRI," Brem outlined. "The reason that's so important is because 95% of women with early breast cancer survive and thrive five years and more."

She added finding breast cancer early not only improves survival rates, but also allows for less difficult treatments.

While mammograms are a reliable screening tool for many women, some women in higher risk categories including those with dense breast tissue often need more advanced screening methods. Brem emphasized CheckMate was developed by a panel of national experts to help address different risk factors among varying racial and ethnic groups.

"Higher risk groups like black American women, like Ashkenazi Jewish women, where breast cancer does occur younger and more aggressively, CheckMate can be a lifesaving tool to find out if they have an increased risk of breast cancer and whether they need more screening to find early curable breast cancer," Brem stressed.

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In-Review: Hackney Diamonds, 12 tracks add to Rolling Stones goodness

by Jim Runyan
Columnist

The new Rolling Stones album was released on October 20 th and it is truly a love letter to Stones fans everywhere. Hackney Diamonds is the 26th Rolling Stones album released in the United States and the first album of original material released by the band in 18 years.

A full-fledged marketing blitz ushered in the release. They really checked all the boxes on this one:

Worldwide live album announcement with Jimmy Fallon (check);
Star-studded musical collaborations (check);
Two successful singles released in the weeks leading up to the release (check);
Band members appearing on talk shows, Saturday Night Live, and making themselves available for multiple interviews (check);
A myriad of special album colors and cover versions (check):
Teaming up with Major League Baseball with special album art for each MLB team (check);
Surprise gig at an intimate New York hotspot on the eve of the release (check).

You can almost hear Mick Jagger in a marketing meeting asking, “What else can we do?”

Ok, so what? Is the music any good? Yes, it is. It is exceptionally good in fact.

The Stones have been around so long that their catalog of music includes many genres of music. There’s Rock and Roll, of course, but you will also find blues, gospel, reggae, psychedelic, punk, country, pop, R&B, and yes, even disco.

A great Rolling Stones album typically has a mix of several of these elements and this one does not disappoint. There are happy love songs and angry love songs, soaring gospel voices, punk-tinged rock and rollers, classic blues, harmonicas, horns, and more.

You know Keith Richards is going to sing a song with his raspy and gravelly voice. He does, and it’s wonderful.

You know Ronnie Wood is going to add some Steel Guitar twang to at least one song. He does, and it’s wonderful.

You know Mick Jagger will sing his heart out. He does, and it’s wonderful.

In conjunction with Mick, Keith, and Ronnie, there is some serious talent on this album. Paul McCartney rips one of the coolest (albeit short) bass solos you will ever hear and Stevie Wonder and Lady Gaga lend their talents to the instant gospel classic, Sweet Sounds of Heaven. Elton John tickles the ivories on Live by The Sword - does that make three knights on this album?.

Ex-band member Bill Wyman lends some bass and even the beloved Charlie Watts adds drums, may he rest in peace.

All that being said, I’m coming back to Ronnie and Keith. The Rolling Stones have always had great guitar tracks and this album is full of them. Ronnie and Keith really deliver here and their guitar weaving and riffs are superb. From the opening chords of Angry to the closing blues of Rolling Stone Blues, guitar fans will be happy and satisfied.

Hackney Diamonds track list:

1. Angry
2. Get Close
3. Depending on You
4. Bite My Head Off
5. Whole Wide World
6. Dreamy Skies
7. Mess It Up
8. Live by the Sword
9. Driving Me Too Hard
10. Tell Me Straight
11. Sweet Sounds of Heaven
12. Rolling Stone Blues (Muddy Waters Cover)

This all adds up to approximately 48 minutes of Rolling Stones goodness.

If you’re looking for something new and fresh from a band that’s been around for over sixty years, go ahead and give this one a spin, preferably with headphones on to really soak it all in. There’s a lot going on here and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Jim Runyan is an avid tennis player, BBQ enthusiast and dart player. He enjoys craft beers and writing fiction and is the author of Ravage the Moon and Other Short Stories available on Amazon.