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For all you out there who have been preaching to “squeeze your boobie” yearly, what do you know?!?
- Nov 19, 2009 at 2:01 PM
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- Comments (9) Total Views (161) Everyone can see this journal post.
Apparently not much.... New guidelines based on no new studies, mind you, advise "that women don't need mammograms until they are 50 — and then every two years, not annually.
The independent panel, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, also recommended against teaching women to do regular self-exams and concluded that there is insufficient evidence to recommend that doctors perform regular physical breast exams."
This, I believe is the underlying theme behind this "revelation":
"The thing that most disturbs me about this publication is that there is no new information," said Dr. Anthony Elias, director of breast-cancer research at the University of Colorado Denver's division of medical oncology. "It's merely a reinterpretation of what's going on, then people put together a computer model and decided the cost-effectiveness may not be as good.
"The impetus of this is health care reform and cost-cutting," he said.
Just prepping you for government run health care.
http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_13812610
Comments:
I think there shouldn't be mass guidelines. Every woman is different. I think they need to stop treating every person the same and start treating people like individuals. Screenings should still take in consideration of family health histories too. There were women who had breast cancer way before 50. I don't care what the guidelines are, I am 31 and will still be doing at least SBEs. I think waiting every 2yrs for a mammogram is ridiculous, especially if you have family history of cancers.
I had a friend who died form breats cancer. She was NOT even 40. I think these new recommonedations are outrageous. I will continue SBE's and encourage the women and the men in my life to do so as well.
Yep... and I read a couple weeks back that prostate screenings were done too often and should be cut back too...
My Dad died from that at age 56.
The reasoning is all the bottom line.. the all might dollar and since health care is heading towards a broke government, need I say more?
It's because people are becoming more concerned with the emotional and financial cost of false-positives. Many doctors have been recommending every 2-5 year mammograms for women who are low risk and have had negative mammograms in the past. This is just new guidelines like new guidelines they make every year about other medical issues.
I knew a mammographer who told me she felt that mammograms done too often on otherwise low-risk and healthy women was riskier than doing self breast exams and every 5 year mammography because mammograms use a higher rate of radiation than standard x-rays.
So put your conspiracy theories to rest and actually read up on the panel and the reasons for their decisions.
If you have a lump, or any question, a practitioner can order a diagnostic mammogram and insurances will pay for it, regardless of these recommendations. This has always been the practice and will continue to be so.
"This is just new guidelines like new guidelines they make every year about other medical issues."
The problem with this being "just guidelines" is that it gives the excuse for whomever is footing the bill (whether it's insurance company now, or govt later), to deny the claim and not pay for it.
Emotional cost? No. Financial cost? Yes. We all know that is the driving factor behind it.
Keep toting liberal party lines, Sapient.. nothing new there...LOL
Jambo, I work in a hospital, I worked in mammography for over a year. I know about this stuff. It's not liberal hearsay, it's not copy and paste e-mails, it's real life truth.
Believe me or keep your ears closed to any opposing views if you'd like, but it doesn't change the truth.
You think there's no emotional cost to false positives? Ask someone who has had questionable mammograms and multiple biopsies for benign disease. It's very stressful to worry if you have breast cancer, when in fact most biopsies come out as benign. I would say out of 30 biopsies we did a week, less than 1 a month was positive. How's that for a false positive rate of mammography?
Sapient,
The United States has had the best survival rate in the world for cancer for a reason...and it is because of early detection. This is the govt's way of trying to lower costs...next you will see that our numbers of cancer patients will go up and that they will be in "late stages" because of lack of early detection...then the govt will be able to deny treatment because it is pointless...they'll die anyway. It's all about money.
BTW, I work in a hospital too (have most of my adult life). I have not spoken to ANY doctor who thinks this is wise. It is downright stupid and abhorable to do this. Women should have the ability and right to have their breasts examined and mammograms so that they can have peace of mind (esp with a family history...and yes I have a family history). Early detection is the key to ALL cancers for survival. This is a tragedy and I am very ashamed of our country. If you choose not to have your mammograms, you have that right, but DO NOT deny others if they choose to get theirs (even if it may seem silly to you or too many false positives).
Also, 10 false positives is better than 1 missed true positive.
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I am horrified by this new guidleline and can only speculate it has to do with rationing health care. It leads me to wonder if you do happen to find a lump b/c you were still doing SBE's will you be covered? You've been told not to do it. This could give ins companies artillary to not cover it. I am sickened over this. Drive thru mastectomies, drive thru births, They's never risk this with a man's gonads.
- spababy120
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