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Posts Tagged ‘Breast cancer awareness’

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Where's the pink? Public housing in Neptune Township, NJ. Blogfinger photo. May, 2016.

Where’s the pink? Public housing in Neptune Township, NJ. Blogfinger photo. May, 2016.

Blogfinger Medical Commentary.   Paul Goldfinger, MD, FACC

Many of you understand the meaning of the pink ribbons. Those who do probably don’t need to be reminded to get mammograms, but, for those of you who don’t know what the pink ribbons mean, they are supposed to increase breast cancer awareness—especially  the need to keep up with mammogram screenings.   I won’t attempt to speak for Meridian, the mammogram-industrial complex that sponsors the pink campagn, but I can share a few facts about breast cancer,  since it is May.

About 65% of all women over age 40 do  keep up with mammogram screening, but there are many who do not   There are a variety of reasons for that, and the Susan G. Komen website can tell you more on that subject (click link below)

Komen web site

It used to be that black women had a lower percent of mammogram screenings than whites, but that difference no longer exists. But it is still true that black women have higher mortality rates from breast cancer than whites.

From the Susan G. Komen web site. 2016.

From the Susan G. Komen web site. 2016.

This quote is from the  Komen web site:     “Overall, breast cancer incidence (rate of new cases) is slightly lower among African-American women than among white women.  However, breast cancer mortality (death) is higher in African-American women.

“For example, in 2013 (most recent data available), breast cancer mortality was 39 percent higher in African-American women than in white women.”

In view of that, you would think that the breast cancer pink program at Meridian would reach out to black neighborhoods with their pink ribbons and an all-out publicized education effort.

But if you drive by the public housing “projects,” as I did,  in Asbury Park and Neptune, there are no pink ribbons to be seen. This is not the first time I have pointed that out.

Meridian should be engaged in an outreach program for African-American communities in Monmouth County.  So how about some  pink ribbons and pamphlets over there?  Actually they should send a group of women, armed with facts and pamphlets, to knock on doors and set up booths in those places.  Better awareness in African-American populations could likely improve those mortality stats.

The statistics regarding the latest controversies about mammogram screenings can be found on BF by typing “breast cancer” or “mammograms”  into our search box on the top right of this page.

Paul Goldfinger, MD

CACHAO:

 

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sweetlifeericka.com

sweetlifeericka.com

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Fox News (10/30, Cappon) reports that “a survey conducted by the Society for Women’s Health Research…revealed that although four out of five women  agree mammograms are important, only 54 percent actually get them.”

“Of the barriers to scheduling a mammogram, the majority of women cited high cost and lack of insurance as the most significant.”

“Additionally, women reported that they must consider non‐medical costs, including travel, time off work, and childcare.”

 

Blogfinger Medical Commentary:  By Paul Goldfinger, MD, FACC

October was National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  The organizer’s web site explains their aims:   official link

The survey described above is very interesting because it provides specific guidance as to how to help improve the fight against breast cancer.  The study suggests that we need to take these steps to help reduce breast cancer mortality rates:

1. Try to identify those 20% of women who don’t know about mammograms and then educate them.

2. For women who don’t have health insurance that covers the test, they need to be informed about the special provisions of the ACA regarding mammograms and how to find insurance policies that will cover them.  Also those women can be educated about programs that offer free tests for those who can’t afford them.

3.  In areas where women don’t go for mammograms because of child care, time off from work and travel issues, breast cancer awareness groups can strive to help them with those concerns.

4.  If the oncology community decides that 3-D mammograms are superior in diagnostic accuracy, then the availability and cost of those imaging tests can be be targeted by interested cancer and public health organizations.

5. Since African-American women have substantially higher breast cancer death rates than whites,  groups such as the pink campaigns need to go into black communities to educate and  help that population.

These ideas are substantial and worthy of support.  Just hanging pink ribbons and banners in our more affluent towns is not nearly enough.

Click on “Fox News”above to read their complete article on this subject.

 

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