In my eyes, it's simple, because I know that mammograms will detect up to 90 percent of breast cancer in women. Polls taken for decades show breast cancer is the leading cause of death for women ages 40 to 59. How can anyone say that a mammogram is not cost effective at age 40? Isn't that putting a price tag on a woman's life? I find that completely unacceptable but that's just my opinion.
The American Cancer Society's Opinion:
•Breast cancer is the 2nd most common cancer diagnosed among U.S. women, accounting for more than 1 in 4 cancers - it is the second leading cause of cancer death in women.
•2.4 million women living in the U.S. have been diagnosed with and treated for breast cancer and one out of eight American women who live to be 85 years of age will develop breast cancer.
•An estimated 192,370 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in American women during 2009 as a result 40,610 deaths are anticipated.
•The greatest risk factor for developing breast cancer is gender (female) and the second is age. Between 2000-2004, 95 percent of new cases and 97 percent of breast cancer deaths occurred in women aged 40 and older.
•Patients with private insurance from all racial/ethnic groups are more likely to be diagnosed with stage I breast cancer and less likely to be diagnosed with stage III and IV than those who were uninsured or who had Medicaid insurance.
So, how many mothers, sisters, aunts, grandmothers, daughters and friends are we willing to lose to breast cancer while the debate goes on?
Any Questions?
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