New recommendations from the United States Preventive Services Task Force state that women should start regular breast cancer screening at 50 rather than the previous recommendation of 40. The new guidelines came out in November 2009 from the group that has sway with doctors, insurance companies and policy makers. In addition it also states that women from 50-74 should only have have mammograms every other year, rather than every year. And it recommends that doctors stop advising women to self check.
The reasoning behind these new guidelines is that that only one person was saved for 1,900 screened. The panel felt the cost of all these screenings and the false positives that occasionally arise outweighed the low instance of early detection.
Mammograms and Early Prevention
Mammograms have been a routine part of preventative health care for American women for over 20 years. The process involves using low-dose X-rays to examine the breast. The objective is the early detection of lumps in the breast which can be signs of breast cancer. For years both self-examination and mammograms have been essential parts of regular preventative breast care.
The American Cancer Society claims, "death rates from breast cancer have been declining since about 1990, with larger decreases in women younger than 50." Early detection as well as improved treatments are seen as the main reason for the improved survival rates.
Criticism of New Breast Cancer Screening Guidelines
The new recommendations come at a bad time for President Obama and Democrats working to push through a health care package. Many people are voicing concerns and are openly wondering whether or not this leads down the slippery slope to health care rationing. The new guidelines have been a leading topic on talk radio and the controversy even made its way to Capital Hill.
"I absolutely believe this could be a form of rationing," said Rep. Phil Gingrey, a Republican congressman who also happens to be a doctor.
Fears of Health Care Rationing
The fear stems from the idea that U.S. government-run insurance plans and companies could use these new federal guidelines to stop coverage for yearly mammograms. This, coupled with the release of new guidelines on cervical cancer screenings suggesting that women wait until their twenties to have their first pap smear and re-screen less often, has lead to concern among many on the political right.
"We've spent years educating women and the public to do this early detection and now we've just taken a 180 and turned the other way," said Phillip Roe, Republican representative from Tennessee, also a retired physician, who said that some of the most aggressive cancers are seen in younger women.
Sources:
American Cancer Society
Steve Brady - Steve is a freelance writer, a middle school English teacher and the owner of Quality-Resumes, an online resume writing and editing ...
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