Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Obama HHS appointed panel says not to start mammograms til age 50 instead of 40, women 50-74 should only have them every other yr., self exams no good

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"Billions of dollars will be saved." Mammograms save lives, just not in the right demographic.

11/17/2009, "Panel Urges Mammograms at 50, Not 40," NY Times, G. Kolata


"Just seven years ago, the same group, the United States Preventive Services Task Force, with different members, recommended that women have mammograms every one to two years starting at age 40. It found too little evidence to take a stand on breast self-examinations.

The task force is an independent panel of experts in prevention and primary care appointed by the federal Department of Health and Human Services.

Its new guidelines, which are different from those of some professional and advocacy organizations, are published online in The Annals of Internal Medicine. They are likely to touch off yet another round of controversy over the benefits of screening for breast cancer....

Even though mammograms are of greater benefit to older women, they still prevent only a small fraction of breast cancer deaths....

Of course, Dr. Berry noted, if the new guidelines are followed, billions of dollars will be saved.""...

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"The recommendations, which help shape how doctors practice..." "No benefit to self-exams." Women 50-74 should only get mammograms "every other year," not every year.

11/17/2009, "Report: Mammograms may not be needed until age 50," USA Today, Liz Szabo

"Most women don't need to get mammograms until they reach age 50, according to a controversial new report that recommends that far fewer women undergo the breast cancer screenings.

For years, mammograms have been recommended every year or two for women beginning at age 40. The new report from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, issued Monday night, now says women this age should simply talk to their doctors about the benefits and risks. The group also says there's no benefit to performing breast self-exams. The recommendations, which help shape how doctors practice, don't affect women at high risk, such as those with strong family histories of cancer.

The task force also says older women don't need as many mammograms: Women ages 50 to 74 should be screened only every other year, not annually, as currently recommended....

The American Cancer Society voiced its displeasure with the new recommendations. "The task force is essentially telling women that mammography at age 40 to 49 saves lives; just not enough of them," Otis Brawley, the society's chief medical officer, said in a statement. About 17% of breast cancer deaths occurred in women who were diagnosed in their 40s, he said."...

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America would be better without older people who are much more racist according to Tom Brokaw:

6/6/2008, Tom Brokaw: "Younger people especially are much, much more colorblind than their elders are."...

"NBC Anchors Get Choked Up About Obama Nomination," Tom Brokaw on Obama beating Hillary Clinton

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Cut back on pap tests, too, Obama appointed panel says

10/19/11, "Task Force Recommends Women Get Fewer Pap Tests," ABC News, M. Conley

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Ed. note: Most women over the age of 30 or 35 know someone or have heard of someone who found a lump via self-examination which was later found to be cancerous or pre-cancerous. The Obama group says self exams are of no benefit.

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"Health and Human Services Department

The Department of Health and Human Services, with 67,000 employees and an annual budget of more than $700 billion, leaves its mark on the lives of Americans in countless ways: inspecting the food they eat, monitoring disease outbreaks, researching cures and administering two of the government’s biggest benefits programs, Medicare and Medicaid.

President Eisenhower was responsible for the 1953 creation of the Cabinet-level department, originally called the Department of Health, Education and Welfare. In his 1954 State of the Union address, he said it “symbolized the government's permanent concern with the human problems of our citizens.”" via Mark Levin show

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