New Recommendations For Breast Cancer Screenings Are Irresponsible
Less Breast Cancer Screenings?
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor. I wasn’t even great at biology, so I’m no expert in the health care field. I do, however, have opinions. This is one of them. When it comes to breast cancer, I have not been directly impacted like so many others, although I have had some women close to me go through the anxious worrying and wondering – waiting to see the results of a test or going through biopsies to make sure everything is alright. Whatever my relationship to breast cancer personally, I think this is a bigger issue than just me.
Last night, on ABC World News with Charles Gibson, the lead story was about breast cancer and some shocking news coming out of the health care industry. A new report by a task force of health care professionals has changed their recommendations for breast cancer screenings. The basics of the report call for less screenings and having them done later in life.
As I watched the news, I was horrified to find out that the task force agreed that these changes “could result in more deaths” but they felt that the overall reduction in false positives, biopsies, and anxiety would be a better thing. Wow. How does one respond to that? I’m not a woman, so I’ve never been through the process (although I’ve heard enough stories to know it can’t be much fun). I’ve heard that mammograms are painful and a horrible thing to go through and I’ve seen first hand the anxiety that goes with those false positives. Which would I take? I’d take pain and anxiety (and even a biopsy) over death.
With the work of groups like Susan G. Komen For The Cure, breast cancer awareness has been heightened over the years. The numbers of deaths from breast cancer have gone done in recent years thanks to more mammograms and early detection, yet this task force says it’s not necessary? It just doesn’t make sense. These women should not be viewed “collateral damage” in the war against breast cancer. One death is one too many.
I hope most doctors and women over in their 40s will ignore these new recommendations and continue with regular screenings and check ups and that Susan G. Komen For The Cure will fight this new recommendation publicly tooth and nail. As I said in my comments at Clem’s Chronicles over at The World Newser:
“These are real women with real lives – any increase in the number of breast cancer deaths is unacceptable.“
image courtesy of euthman
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- Breast-Screening Advice Is Upended (online.wsj.com)
- Routine Mammograms Before 50: Not Much Point (health.usnews.com)
- Mammogram Age Pushed Back To 50 (huffingtonpost.com)
- In Reversal, U.S. Urges Mammograms at 50, Not 40 (nytimes.com)
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Comments
This is good work you’re doing here. I’m glad I happened upon your posting…
Alexa – I was shocked when I heard the new recommendations. I’m glad you enjoyed the article, it’s not the average real estate blog post, but I had to speak my mind about it.
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