What Do You Think About the USPSTF Breast Cancer Prevention Guidelines?

I admit, when I first read the USPSTF Mammography guidelines that no longer recommends routine screening for women between the ages of 40 and 49, I was outraged. It seems like a way for insurance companies to cut costs at the expense of women’s lives. I decided to do some research starting with an answer to the question; What is the American Cancer Society’s response to these new guidelines?

I found an actual official response statement from Otis W. Brawley, M.D., chief medical officer, American Cancer Society. Dr Brawley states regarding his opinion of  routine mammograms;

“As someone who has long been a critic of those overstating the benefits of screening, I use these words advisedly: this is one screening test I recommend unequivocally, and would recommend to any woman 40 and over, be she a patient, a stranger, or a family member.”

Further in his response he continues;

“With its new recommendations, the USPSTF is essentially telling women that mammography at age 40 to 49 saves lives; just not enough of them.”

I don’t know about you, but my outrage is not decreasing.

Dr. Brawley says that the ACS also studied the same data that the USPSTF studied and they do not change their opinion of yearly mammograms for women 40-49 and;

 ”In fact, data show the technology used today is better than that used in the studies in this review, and more modern studies show that mammography is achieving better results than those achieved in these early experimental studies that go back as far as the mid-60’”

Read the full article HERE.

I am long past being ready for a cure to this dreadful illness that takes so many lives and makes lots of money for the medical industry. So, I am wondering, what do you feel about the new guidelines? Let me know in the comment section below.