Friday, November 20, 2009
Congresswoman Kilpatrick Comments on New Recommendations for Breast Cancer Screenings
Lawmaker Emphasizes Need for Health Care Reform to Address Disparities in Breast Cancer Diagnoses and Deaths, Encourages Women to Consult Doctors and Continue Efforts to Detect Breast Cancer Early
Detroit, MI – Congresswoman Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick (MI-13) today released the following statement about the recommendations for breast cancer screenings from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force:
The recommendation of the U.S Preventative Task Force of the U.S. Health and Human Services Department advising women to wait until they are in their 50’s to start annual mammograms is not a good idea. I do not support this recommendation.
Breast cancer is the leading cause of death for women under 40. Each year, more than 10,000 young women are diagnosed with cancer. More than 1,000 of these cases are fatal.
According to a study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, African American women under the age of 40 have a higher risk of breast cancer than do white women of a similar age. In addition, this disparity was highest among women under the age of 30—with Black women having a 52% higher breast cancer incidence than white women. A recent study in Breast Cancer Research found that African American women are three times more likely to develop a particularly aggressive type of breast cancer that does not respond favorably to treatment. African American women are two times more likely to die from breast cancer because their breast cancer is often diagnosed at later stages.
Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of cancer death among Hispanic women. Despite recent increases in screening rates, breast cancer still tends to be diagnosed at a later stage, when treatment options are more limited. Uninsured Hispanic women are two to three times more likely to be diagnosed at a later stage.
The late detection and diagnosis of breast cancer among African American and Hispanic women—which increase their chances of death due to the disease—is often a result of inadequate access to health care and lack of health coverage. This is why health care reform is a necessity now. We must ensure that all women, many whom are among the 36 million Americans who do not have insurance, will have access to the care, tools, and resources needed to fight this disease and prevent needless deaths.
H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act, has a strong focus on prevention, wellness, and health behaviors. Prevention and wellness are vital to lowering long term health care costs and increasing quality of care. The bill proposes numerous investments, including requiring coverage of preventive services. The bill requires coverage of preventive services in the essential benefits program with no cost sharing. The bill also requires coverage and increases access to preventive care in Medicare and Medicaid.
I lost an aunt to breast cancer, so I understand the impact this disease has on families throughout our country. Early detection is critical in preventing death from breast cancer. I encourage all women to consult their doctors about getting regular mammograms beginning at 40. It is also important to get to clinical breast exams during doctor’s visits and to conduct monthly self-breast exams.
We must make sure all women—our mothers, sisters, daughters, and others—are taking the appropriate steps to maintain their health. Working together, we can continue raising awareness about the important role mammograms, affordable health insurance, and access to quality health care play in fighting breast cancer.
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