Breast Cancer Community

What is with this stupid FDA task force anyway? 230,000 women will be dx with bc in 2011. 26,000 dx under the age of 45. WOW. That is a lot of women. 64% dx with invasive bc. That is worse than horrible!!!!!

Why is the gov so set on upping the age to 50 when there are so many that find if early when get a mammo at age 40?????

Again I think it is the bottom line with these ins companies. they don't want to pay for these tests if the Gov says it isn't necessary to get tested until age 50.

Mercy, don't we see enough younger women on our board that is dx with this horrible disease?

Why do the Ins Companies and the Drug companies have us the public right where they want us---By the short hairs?

I wish I could start something (don't know what it woud be) to wake up the stupid Feds, Ins co, and the Drug Companies just what is going on out in our world. They all have their head in the sand.

Any ideas, Haylen, on what we can do??? Other than vote these stupid people out of office!!!! Which I do vote each time.

I mean really a shortage of Taxol JUST so they can raise the price--where the normal patient can't affford. I was told that the good ole' USA is the only country that DOES NOT set the drug prices. Every country but ours set the prices and tell the drug companies what they can charge. Why not good ole' America. Do the lobbiyists on drugs have that much power in Wash DC.??? That certainly needs to be changed.

O.K. Haylen, you definietly got me on my soap-box this A.M.

Jan

When this report came out back then this comunity lit up like a Christmas tree!! As I recall no one agreed with the task force, and it seems to me that the medical community also came down VERY opposed to the recommendation.

As it stands now (at least to the best of my knowedge), generally all the medical community favors the earlier mammograms. Common sense actually won!!

Rachael

Jan,

I wish I did have some ideas to get those heads out of the sand (or another location) Sorry if I whipped you into an early morning frenzy!

One of my favorite books is "Thank you for Smoking" (turned into a film) It centers on a group of lobbyists. Although fiction and funny, I think the view of how powerful the D.C. lobby's are was accurate.

I'm reposting this study on my personal Facebook page and asking my friends (mostly my age) to spread the word. I know it's just a grassroots effort but I hope this story hits the media in a big way.

Rachael,

Yeah for common sense!

Haylen

These girls have said it all - I personally think it boils down to insurance companies not wanting to pay.
I supposedly have no family history but have a daughter. I am told I don't have a hereditary breast cancer but how do they really know? What if I am the start of something? I feel she should be screened at 35, but will probably get a hard time about that. 50 is ridiculous with this disease running rampid. Every time I turn around I hear someone new with the diagnosis. This is a real sore spot for sure. Ya, a shortage of taxol is absolutely inexcusable. They DO have us by the short hairs, and some of us no hairs! I am trying to be funny, but this subject is a super sore spot, along with the need for better screening equipment at facilities.
OK, back to work now before I throw this computer out a window LOL!!!
Jenna

Haylen,
I feel that mammos should be done at 40 if not sooner this 50 thing is crazy. I was dx just before my 45 birthday I spent my birthday planning my bimast. The day I went for my mammo in Feb 2008 there was a 23 year old girl next to me. Her mother and two aunts all had breast cancer at a very young age and she was there for her mammo. We both could see and hear the ladies talking about someones test and hoping it wasn't ours because it didn't sound good. Guess who they called into that room? ME it wasn't good news at all they had found two tumors in my right breast on my ulratsound and I needed to see the breast care doctor on mon ( this was Fri ) for a biopsy. I also found out that young girl also got bad news that day at 23 years old so the sooner we can get tested the better. 50 would have been to later for both of us years to late as a matter of fact. I agree most of it is because the insurance doesn't want to pay. Something needs to be done to change this and soon very soon. Before more lives are affected by cancer.

PS...One of the main reasons often given for not having a mammogram pre-50 years of age is that if you should have a false positive, it would present unnecessary stress to the patient.

So, let's examine that: I get a false positive which later is found to be benign. OR.....I do have a mammogram ten years later and learn that for the past decade I have had a malignancy growing wild and unimpeded in my body. Which might present more stress to this frail little female??????? DUH!!!!!!

Rachael

Oh Rachael, You said it, girlfriend. I would be so stressed out knowing all that time I had it growing. UGH.

Sometimes I think the peoples in charge just don't get it. Thank goodness, they finally changed their collective minds on "40" !!! Yeah, for us women.

You do know how to state things. But you frail---I don't think so, You are OUR Rock.

Blessings
Jan