I was horrified when I heard about the The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force’s recommendations, revising the recommendations for breast cancer mammogram screening. Although they say that these are guidelines only, not binding, we know for sure that our insurance companies will adopt them and begin to choose not to cover us. The Susan.G.Komen home page reports the following:
“Most breast cancer experts agree far more than they disagree. One thing that the evidence clearly shows is that mammography reduces the risk of dying from breast cancer. Susan G. Komen for the Cure® continues to recommend annual mammography beginning at age 40 for women of average risk and earlier for women with known risks for breast cancer.
Mammography is not perfect, but until we can develop more precise screening methods and can more accurately predict which women are at risk for breast cancer it is still our best tool for early detection.”
As I read more and more reports about this issue, I am encouraged to see that most specialists continue to recommend yearly mammograms, encourage monthly self exams and support the age of 40+ as the baseline. I do not wish to be hijacked by my insurance company for something that we took so long to decide initially, and has been successful – which is now ‘maybe, maybe not, sorta kinda being refuted.”
There are things that can be done. Click on the Susan.G.Komen web page and let your voice be heard.
Sign the petition, learn some more, be PRO – ACTIVE, spread the word.
lizfaith26 said,
November 24, 2009 at 10:06 pm
I completely agree with you. Mammography may have risks such as radiation exposure but I feel that the benefits far out weigh the risks. I feel that breast cancers are harder to find in younger women, and with the mammography there is a much better chance to find these cancers than without. Although self exams are an important tool, the average woman may not find the cancer as well as a trained doctor or nurse would. I can’t believe that they are reccomending we postpone these exams!
lizfaith26 said,
November 24, 2009 at 10:09 pm
p.s. I wanted to share: I went to sign the Susan Komen webpage and received notification I couldn’t sign. I had already signed this back in November!!!