Task force opposes routine mammograms for women age 40-49

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has updated mammography guidelines
• New recommendation: No routine screenings for women 40 -49; instead talk to doc
• For women ages 50 to 74, mammography screenings every two years
• American Cancer Society, other experts don't agree with new guidelines

Komen's "Making Sense of New Mammography Recommendations"
http://ww5.komen.org/ExternalNewsArticle.aspx?newsID=44299


YSC Responds to New Mammography Guidelines
While the new U.S. Preventive Services Task Force's recommendations on screening mammography, clinical breast exam and self-examination do not directly impact the young breast cancer survivors served by Young Survival Coalition (YSC), we are concerned about the recommendation of such significant changes. Although mammograms are not perfect tests, the evidence has clearly shown that they save lives in older women and should be available for all women for whom such screening is appropriate. Further, the Task Force's recommendations deal only with average risk women, not screening in higher risk women including screening residual breast tissue of young and old survivors. For these populations there is not enough scientific data to change current recommendations. YSC believes that better tools are urgently needed for younger women regardless of their risk level.

This current debate regarding the effectiveness of mammograms highlights the issues facing young women. While over 11,000 women under 40 in the United States are diagnosed with breast cancer annually, there is still no screening method for early detection of breast cancer in young women. Survival rates for young women diagnosed with breast cancer are significantly worse than their older counterparts and the disease is often detected at later stages and is found to be more aggressive. Without access to proper and timely care, a woman's odds for survival decrease.

Mammography has been found to be an ineffective screening mechanism for this population because of their breast density. Accordingly YSC urges all young women to be familiar with their bodies, know their own personal risk factors for breast cancer, be aware of the signs of breast malignancies and to promptly consult with their health provider if they have any health concerns.

Warning: Cancer For Sale

I sometimes think that the criticism of "the pink ribbon" movement is too harsh. Many other cancer groups damn the pink ribbon, the month of October, and the fundraising efforts of major breast cancer advocates such as Susan G. Komen for the Cure. I think awareness and fundraising are important, so I don't agree with all the rants. However, I do agree with I2Y's recent post that the commercialization that we are seeing in recent years is pretty outrageous. In other words, the ridiculous adoption of the pink ribbon on all kinds of products has gone too far. The consumer is being bamboozled, which is unfortunate for the legitimate companies that are making significant contributions. But look at the labels of these "pink" products. What are they donating? How is your purchase really helping? I support companies that commit to something like "20% of all proceeds from the sale of this item will be donated to xxxxx". Read that again -- "20% of ALL proceeds". There is no limit, no cap, and your purchase will make a difference in the bottom line.

Now compare that to a recent bamboozle I saw at our local supermarket. We were walking down the dairy aisle when we came across a huge bin of cute, soft, cuddly stuffed bears. Some of them had a pink ribbon on them, some of them were all pink. I picked one up and squeezed it. Do I buy this cute thing for a good cause?? It was $8. Not bad. I read the tag more closely. This company will donate $2 from the sale of this bear for up to a total of $10,000 to breast cancer research and education. Now wait a minute! That SCREAMS profit margin and not charitable donation. Selling 5,000 bears for charity. They probably scammed that off of consumers in the first month this thing hit the store aisles. Now it's all jut profit in their pockets. I was pissed. I threw the bear back in the bin, upsetting my husband, who happens to have real empathy for stuffed bears and was worried that I hurt the bear. What makes this story worse is that a few days letter I get a phone call from a co-worker who saw this very same bear bin in this very same store. She was excited to tell me of this great opportunity to "help the cause". When I told her the bamboozle, she couldn't believe it. I can only hope that she will become a smarter consumer and stop supporting this "cancer for sale" attitude that so many companies think is okay to propagate.

I also beg these companies that cap their donations, plaster their products with pink as a marketing ploy, and don't clearly explain what they are giving to STOP watering down the pink ribbon. STOP turning breast cancer awareness into a marketing trap. STOP profiting off of peoples' desires to help. STOP taking advantage of ignorance. STOP sellling cancer.