Vitter Asks For Community Input
New Mammogram Guidelines Discussed at Mary Bird Perkins
(Baton Rouge, LA) -- As a response to the new breast cancer screening guidelines released by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), U.S. Senator David Vitter (R-La.) came to Baton Rouge to hear what the medical community and breast cancer survivors had to say on the issue. At the Senator's request, Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center hosted the forum on Monday, November 23 for cancer advocacy groups, physicians and breast cancer survivors.
"I was appalled by the USPSTF's recommendations to stop annual breast cancer screenings for women between 40-49 years old and 75 years and older, and to cease breast self examinations completely," said Senator Vitter. His concern is personal because his wife, Wendy Vitter, was only six-years-old when her mother died of breast cancer at the age of 39. He said he has been committed to working in the U.S. Senate to pass legislation to continue early detection measures.
Many organizations throughout the community attended the discussion including representatives from the American Cancer Society, Baton Rouge Clinic, the Cancer Program of Our Lady of the Lake and Mary Bird Perkins, Cancer Services of Greater Baton Rouge, the Center for Restorative Breast Surgery, St. Tammany Parish Hospital, and Woman's Hospital. The group was joined by five breast cancer survivors, all of whom were diagnosed under the age of 50 and all who became concerned about their health because of changes discovered by breast self exams.
The rationale behind the USPSTF's recommendations is that too many women are getting unnecessary biopsies, or are getting unnecessary treatment for something that may never turn cancerous. Furthermore, the Task Force has also stated that breast self exams do not save lives. "I may not be here if it wasn't for self examination and free cancer screenings," conveyed a breast cancer survivor in response to Senator Vitter's question to the survivors on how the changes proposed by the USPSTF would have affected their lives.
Feedback from the forum further reinforced his belief that the USPSTF's recommendations are ill-advised, Vitter said. "The message is clear: we need continued prevention and early detection for breast cancer, not less."
Breast cancer is the most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer deaths in American women. In Louisiana, it is estimated that in 2009, more than 2,700 new cases and 690 deaths from the disease are expected.
Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center has been fighting cancer for over 35 years with locations in Baton Rouge, Covington, Hammond, Houma and Gonzales. It has comprehensive cancer programs with Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center in Baton Rouge and St. Tammany Parish Hospital in Covington. These programs are accredited by the American College of Surgeons -- the gold standard for community-based cancer care. For more information visit www.marybird.org.
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