Western Representation

New recommendations that women under the age of 50 do not need mammograms were mysteriously released just before the Senate began debate on taking over American healthcare. “Coincidentally”, this will save the new Federal insurance agency billions of dollars by not having to pay for “needless” tests. The recommendations highlight the fact that only 1 in 1900 women under the age of 50 are diagnosed with cancer which the “The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force”  feels makes these tests statistically unnecessary.

The Radiological Society of North America was quick to express their discontent by pointing out that early screening through mammography has reduced breast cancer death by 30% since 1990. The pointed out that there is not a single radiologist on the USPST panel that made these recommendations. “Under the revised guidelines, “screening will begin too late and its effects will be too little,” said Stephen A. Feig, MD, of the University of California Irvine and president-elect of the American Society of Breast Disease. “We will save money but lose lives.”

According to the American Cancer Society there will be 192,370 new cases of invasive breast cancer diagnosed in American women in 2009. Of these, 25% will be in women under the age of 50. If we do the math, that’s 48,092 women under the age of 50 that will develop invasive breast cancer this year. The American Cancer Society understandably recommend at least biannual mammograms in women under 50 and annually thereafter.

There is evidence that mammograms are not as effective in younger women due to the density of breast tissue but it is also well understood that there is no sudden change to breast tissue on a woman’s 50th birthday that makes them more effective. The USPST recommendation is nothing more than a cost savings to insurance companies who will be able to deny claims for the test. The “public option” plan will also benefit through reduced costs thanks to the coincidental timing of the recommendation’s release.

Bureaucrats deal in statistics, not people. It is much easier to accept an untimely death when it’s just a number.

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Roger Health Care, US Senate breast cancer, mammograms, preventive services task force, Senate heathcare Bill, USPST