Breast cancer survivors speak out
About the suddenly changed guidelines on mammograms the federal task force has just released.
The U.S. Preventive Service Task Force announced Nov. 16, 2009, that it would now recommend against annual mammograms for women between the age of 40 and 49 because the potential harm routine screening in this age group outweigh the benefits. These downsides include radiation exposure, cost and the physical and psychological trauma of false positives.
The women who share their personal experiences there believe the mammograms they received before the age 50 saved their lives.
Insurance companies and the American Cancer Society believed that too. I recall many years ago when most insurance companies made routine yearly mammograms a totally insured benefit for women after age 40, and they sent out letters notifying their client base of that fact, and the importance of the yearly screenings.
What changed now? The government, especially one that’s pushing a massive health care takeover after which they’ll pay the bills.
People are confused. Among them, the doctors who care for them.
