At the beginning of the week, the United States Preventative Task Force issued a set of new guidelines for use of mammography. And the storm hit — OMG, the government will be rationing health care; OMG! the gubmint wants women to die!
“I do believe that women will die” if they’re followed, she said.
Not once in the ensuing storm of criticism, did anyone bother to look at the statement that these new guidelines are NOT for ALL women, and will actually promote doctors to spend some time with their patients and give them some individualized time deciding on the most effective course of prevention for the individual patient. Furthermore, not a single one of the idiots trotted out to oppose the new guidelines (Kathleen Sebelius, Debbie Wasserman, for example) have bothered to recognize that even low doses of radiation from yearly mammography can lead to breast cancer — yes, radiation (which remains in the body) is one of the KNOWN causes of breast cancer. And finally, not once have I heard anyone in the media note that these new guidelines put the US in line with European nations that also use a screening process and which have no higher incidence of breast cancer with less screening.
Today, another group, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, has issued new guidelines for Pap Smears. Again, the guidelines call for less screenings.
The new guidelines say women 30 and older who have three consecutive Pap tests that were normal, and who have no history of seriously abnormal findings, can stretch the interval between screenings to three years.
In addition, women who have a total hysterectomy (which removes the uterus and cervix) for a noncancerous condition, and who had no severe abnormalities on previous Pap tests, can quit having the tests entirely.
The guidelines also say that women can stop having Pap tests between 65 and 70 if they have three or more negative tests in a row and no abnormal test results in the last 10 years.
The changes do not apply to women with certain health problems that could make them more prone to aggressive cervical cancer, including H.I.V. infection or having an organ transplant or other condition that would lead to a suppressed immune system.
These are some pretty specific ifs contained in the new guidelines, just as there were specific ifs in the new guidelines for mammography.
Nevertheless, the idiots with serious reading comprehension problems and a basic understanding of cervical cancer are coming out of the woodwork, including for this NY Times article.
On the other hand, Ms. Jemison said that now that she is over 21, “I would still go every year” for the Pap test.
“One of my cousins had cervical cancer, so that’s in my head too,” she said. “I’d rather get it checked out regularly than have to worry about that.”
There is no evidence that cervical cancer is inherited. However, there can be a familial connection of a suppressed immune system, which, under the new guidelines, means you should continue to get yearly pap smears.
I’m left wondering why the media insists on promoting stupid, which will not further discussion of the cause and effect of over-testing, for both mammograms and pap smears.





