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November 27, 2009

Early detection is still best Rx | Don’t gamble with breast cancer

Anonymous The Tribune-Democrat Fri Nov 27, 2009, 10:12 AM EST

We join local health care professionals and breast cancer survivors in opposing new guidelines for the disease outlined in a federal government study.

For years, early detection has been the rallying cry for those battling breast cancer, among the leading killers of women in the United States.

The American Cancer Society has urged women to begin having routine mammograms and perform self-exams at age 40, and local specialists agree.

Now, a federal study says women should hold off on routine mammograms until age 50.

Richland Township breast-cancer survivor Mary Ann Baran’s reaction is being echoed across the local health-care community: “That is ridiculous.”

Baran is among the thousands of women who point to early detection as having saved their lives.

In a story Monday by health-care reporter Randy Griffith, local doctors and patients said they plan to continue with the guidelines that have been reducing mortality rates for 20 years.

Survivor Elizabeth “Betty” Krug, 48, of Northern Cambria said: “If I had waited around to be 50 years old to have a mammogram, I’d probably be dead now.”

We hope this isn’t the shape of things to come, as the federal government maneuvers to take over health care.

We fear a day when a government committee’s recommendations determine whether a woman will be reimbursed by Medicare for a mammogram – or another person for some other important procedure.

Here’s the rationale of the study, issued by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force:

Early tests are causing too many false alarms and unneeded biopsies, without sufficiently improving a woman’s odds of survival.

Dr. Dianna Craig, a breast cancer specialist with the Joyce Murtha Breast Care Center, said patients need not worry about the new recommendations.

Craig said her facility will not change any of its procedures or policies as a result of the study.

“Most insurance companies follow American Cancer Society guidelines,” she said.

“They haven’t changed.

“They don’t agree. I don’t think there are going to be too many changes involved.”

Local health leaders say the federal government is attempting to save money without regard to the patients.

We agree.

Dr. Gerard Garguilo of Memorial Medical Center said the new findings could set the breast-cancer movement back 15 years.

We urge women in this region to listen to their doctors’ recommendations, not the findings of some federal committee.

Our region is blessed with the best breast cancer surgeons and researchers in the world.

“In my 30-plus years of practice, I have never had a patient lay into me because the biopsy was negative,” Garguilo said.

“The peace of mind that patient gets in many cases is priceless.”

Tom Kurtz, CEO of Windber Research Institute, summed up the debate:

“These recommendations are inconsistent with current science. The fact is the death rate from breast cancer was unchanged for the 50 years prior to the onset of regular screenings in 1990. Since that time, the mortality rate has decreased by 30 percent. It is apparent that the established early detection guidelines have been effective.”

We hope medical professionals and patients in other areas of the country are as outspoken as the fine folks here in our area.

Lives are at stake.

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