Yesterday afternoon, when I heard a news report that an independent government panel has suggested that breast cancer screening guidelines should be dramatically altered I was dumbfounded. But according to The Washington Post Diana B. Pettiti, vice chairman of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and her colleagues are standing by their findings—which will be published today in The Annals of Internal Medicine. This task force believes that women should no longer have annual mammograms starting at age 40. Instead they should wait a full decade and start at 50 then do them every other year. Sounds to me like insurance lobbyists influenced these findings—that’s the only way I can explain this crazy suggestion (which the American Cancer Society, The American College of Radiology and other oppose). Now most of you know that when it comes to medical research, findings and recommendations change as often as the weather. But this dramatic departure seems potentially dangerous—especially to sisters.
This panel believes that women in their 40s have too many false positives (aka cancer scares) that result in unnecessary follow-ups, tests and biopsies. In some cases they even are given chemotherapy and radiation. But that only occurs in only 10% of the cases. They also don’t think doctors should teach us how to do self-exams. So for ten years they’re basically suggesting that you let your breast health be a mystery. Crazy goes here again!
But the reason I’m writing about this here is that black women can’t really afford to even consider these new recommendations. Why? Because another study released earlier this year said that the likelihood of finding breast cancer is the same in a 33 year-old black women as it is in a 40 year-old white women. That means for some of us waiting until 40 is problematic to begin with. Furthermore, we are 30% more likely to die from the disease and have a lower five year survival rate. Socioeconomic conditions play a big role in this but no one really has as answer to why we are also diagnosed with more aggressive forms of the disease. We’ve already got some sisters slacking when it comes to their preventative health we don’t want this kind of news to make them think they can skip mammograms altogether.
So what does this all mean? The panel is basically putting the decision in the hands of each woman and suggests that she decide for herself. (They are at least saying that those who are high risk or have a history of breast cancer in their families should still start earlier.). But be on the lookout for insurance companies who may try to change their policies (and perhaps make mammograms ‘elective’ (i.e. make us pay for them in the coming years.) I’m going to make it plain: don’t pass up an opportunity to catch this disease early (a late diagnosis has other ramifications). Taking the risk is like playing Russian Roulette with your life. Sure being squished up in a machine for your annual screening is certainly uncomfortable but I remember a sister who’s a breast cancer saying that ‘it doesn’t hurt as much as breast cancer’.
If you liked this post, we think you might like these too:
