Lorraine Pace, Founder and Co-president, Breast Cancer Help, Inc., is available to speak to members of the media about the recommendations recently released by the Preventative Services Task Force, appointed by the U.S. Department of Health. In reversing recommendations that have been in place since 2002 for annual mammography screenings, the task force is recommending against mammography screenings for women in their forties.
“I am outraged that the U.S. Department of Health would play a numbers game with women’s health. Early detection saves lives and every life is worth it, despite the costs to the healthcare system and concerns about a woman’s potential anxiety.
“Coming on the heels of the current healthcare debate, one has to ask if this is how healthcare panels will ration early detection screenings and life-saving care. Do we really want bureaucrats in Washington making these calls, rather than a women’s physician.
“In one fell swoop, they are trying to wipe out over 20 years of progress in promoting awareness and early detection,” said Ms. Pace.
Ms. Pace, a breast cancer survivor who first detected her cancer by a self-breast exam at age 50, has recently had a recurrence while in her 60s, detected by a digital mammogram. She is a staunch proponent of digital mammograms and has worked to secure grants for research and equipment, including a digital mammography system for Stony Brook University Medical Center, which detected her recurrence at the earliest of stages.
For more information about Breast Cancer Help, Inc., visit http://www.breastcancerhelpinc.org.
