Preventive Medical Procedures Are Being Stripped Away!

 "Since when is mortality the criterion for medical intervention? "Dr. Bernstein, MD

Preventive Medicine in Question

I can not help but question the motives behind suggesting that annual exams such as mammograms, pelvic exams, and prostate testing are unnecessary. Then we have the dreaded colonoscopy whose guidelines were recently changed from 7 years to 10 years. Is it the medical community or the insurance companies that are pushing these new guidelines. It sure appears that the insurance companies benefit from these questionable decisions. 


Oh,  did I mention that none of these tests are recommended as screening tests for people over 74 - 75 depending on the test. . Why bother checking to see if older people have cancer!      

I know of several situations when regular testing has detected cancers when there were no obvious symptoms.

• I personally know 2 woman who found out they had breast cancer because of an annual mammogram. 
• I personally know 3 men who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer because of an annual exam. 
• During a routine colonoscopy, they found cancer in  my step-mom. She was immediately rushed into surgery to have the cancer removed. She is alive and well today, because she did a routine colonoscopy.

• I had a breast tumor found during a mammogram. Thankfully it was benign.  

It is time for us to stand up and fight for our medical rights. It is time for the medical community to stop taking away preventive medicine. If you agree, please contact your Congress person. senator, governor etc.
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I did some RESEARCH: 

In 2012. the MAMMOGRAM Guideline were changed. The suggested age for starting to do base line mammograms jumped from 40 to 50 (for people without known risks), as the below suggest.
According to the breast cancer site, as of July 2014: 

"The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has released a recommendation that all American women without a family history of breast cancer receive a mammogram every two years between the ages of 50 and 74. The report does not recommend routine screening mammography in women aged 40 to 49 years. And that the test go from annual to every 2 years.
 
Mayo Clinic and the American Cancer Society continue to recommend screenings for women 40 years of age and older. "Mayo Clinic will continue to evaluate new data on mammography and breast cancer detection as information is made available. But at this time...Mayo Clinic physicians feel it is in the best interests of their patients to offer routine screening mammography..."

COLONOSCOPY Guidelines.  
In 2011, guidelines changed from every 7 years to every 10 years (for people without known risks) - ages 50 to 75. 
See Center for Disease Control and Prevention for details. 

PROSTATE Guidelines:  The research is far more controversial then the other issues discussed in this post. According to the Cancer Prevention &Treatment Fund, prostate cancer is the 2nd leading cause of cancer deaths in men. Please read the article at the above link. The summary is that since prostate cancer is a slow moving cancer, most men will die of other causes before the cancer kills them - so why test for it. 
It suggests that the digital rectal exam is not necessary and neither is the PSA test. Some of the sites suggest there is more harm than good when doing a PSA test. I do not get it, a PSA test is a blood test, so where is the harm?


PELVIC EXAMS are now being reviewed:
Sunday, July 6, 2104 in the L.A. Times, article called Pelvic exams still serve a purpose, written by Paula Bernstein M.D, PhD. Dr. Bernstein is an  Associate Clinical Chief of Gynecology & Attending Physician Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Cedar-Sinai in Los Angeles.

Dr. Bernstein discusses that the American College of Physicians is suggesting that, "annual pelvic exams are unnecessary because they do not save lives. "  Dr Bernstein states that the pelvic exam can and does uncover a myriad of medical issues that can lead to serious medical issues. Without the annual pelvic exam these medical issues may go undetected. 

Just to be clear, the American College of Physicians is recommending that the guidelines for Pap Smears remain the same. 

Harvard Health Publications: Harvard Medical School; posted  an article on July 2, 2014, Expert panel says healthy women don’t need yearly pelvic exam. This article reviews the American College of Physicians decision and details the new suggested procedures. The article also states: "It’s also important to note that the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists still recommends a yearly pelvic exam for women, even though it acknowledges that the evidence does not support or refute its value." 

I feel very angry that the medical community making these decisions appears to be against the patient and for those who benefit most - the insurance companies. 


PLEASE NOTE I AM NOT A DOCTOR AND NOT GIVING MEDICAL ADVICE. THESE ARE MY OPINIONS.  PLEASE DISCUSS THESE ISSUES WITH YOUR DOCTORS AND DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH ON THE SUBJECT.

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