Any women want to chime in on these recent recommendations that women wait longer to do mammograms and check for cervical cancer?
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BooMan
Martin Longman a contributing editor at the Washington Monthly. He is also the founder of Booman Tribune and Progress Pond. He has a degree in philosophy from Western Michigan University.
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Age isn’t really the best determiner for either test. Pap smears are looking for pre-cancerous cells, which are usually caused by exposure to HPV (Human Papilloma Virus, i.e. genital warts). Sexual history, rather than age, is a better determiner of risk. Lots of unprotected sex with lots heterosexual partners early in life puts one in the highest risk group. Women with this history should get year PAP smears, as should any women who has had a abnormal test. As a lesbian, I only get a PAP smear every five years or so, as I’m in the lowest risk group.
As for mamograms, the same is true. Family history, etc. should determine the age and frequency of testing. One of the reasons mamograms are recommended for older women is that breast tissue in younger women is too dense to yield a good image. I’m old enough to have a mamogram, but still have very dense breast tissue so it wouldn’t be very accurate.
Which is to say that doctors should be making these decisions based on their patients specifics, and not someone else’s ball park guess-timations.
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Dr. Cheryl B. Iglesia said the argument for changing Pap screening was more compelling than that for cutting back on mammography – which the obstetricians’ group has — opposed — because there is more potential for harm from the overuse of Pap tests.
The reason is that young women are especially prone to develop abnormalities in the cervix that appear to be precancerous, but that will go away if left alone. But when Pap tests find the growths, doctors often remove them, with procedures that can injure the cervix and lead to problems later when a woman becomes pregnant, including premature birth and an increased risk of needing a Caesarean.
Women with a strong family history of breast and/or ovarian cancer combined with young ages at diagnosis of affected family members have an increased risk of these types of cancer. In 1994 and 1995 respectively, the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes were identified. A germline mutation in one of these genes is associated with very high risks of early onset breast and ovarian cancer.
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."I think men should wait longer for prostate exams and tests.
I mean, fair is fair, right?
Why is it that women’s issues always leave plenty of wiggle room? Seems like our issues are always on the back burner.
An undercurrent in all this is that the lessened testing recommendations bring the US into line with the UK and European countries. In other words, our “best” science is just now catching up with countries that lack our demonstrated financial incentive for carrying out additional, sometimes unnecessary testing.
Damn socialists.
I’m one of the people being “over-treated.” I’ve had a half dozen biopsies since age 39 (I’m now 55). I’ve watched the diagnostic “science” develop over the last two decades. Today, the mammagram equipment finds everything – including the stuff you don’t need to worry about. I’m currently being “followed” every six months for a cluster of what look like calcium deposits in my left breast. They haven’t changed in 18 months, but the Dr. says there is a 20 percent chance it is a non-invasive cancer that takes five years to advance. Had I ignored my breasts until age 50, I’d have experienced a lot less anxiety and spent a lot less $$ on diagnostic testing. On the other hand, I have very busy breast tissue and a mammagram done at 50 would have shown a veritable circus of tissue abnormalities(fibroadenomas, cysts, intraductal papilomas, etc.). Could they all be biopsied at once? Maybe. I don’t know. It’s a crap shoot for sure.
I had a friend made so terrified by the finding of calcium deposits that she was beside herself for weeks.
It’s good to get the information out and about. It is true that cancer treatment is an industry.
Men have a problem with over treatment of prostate cancer.
The tests need be accurate and it would be nice if the medical profession stop scaring people.