An official Presidential Proclamation declaring April 2024 as the inaugural National Cancer Prevention and Early Detection Month states:
“Healthy life habits — like maintaining a healthy body weight and reducing exposure to tobacco smoke — can prevent certain cancers, so we are working to help all Americans get and stay healthy. Our National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health supports expanding incentives to purchase fruits and vegetables with SNAP, ensures more kids have access to free and nutritious school lunches, and expands access to nutrition and obesity counseling.”
RIGHT ON!!!
Unfortunately the part about early detection and cancer screenings as a way to “beat cancer” sounds like a great idea, but…
Mammography screening comes with serious harms often not not disclosed to women, thus depriving them of informed consent and informed choice.
Women deserve INFORMED CHOICE in Breast Cancer Screening!
A petition for this is outlined below:
INFORMED CHOICE in Breast Cancer Screening / Insurance for Ultrasound and QT Imaging
Women deserve INFORMED CHOICE in Breast Cancer Screening.
Currently women are told they MUST have a mammogram in order to have an ultrasound.
There are well documented valid concerns about mammography screening.
Many women have already experienced serious harms. Many prefer to OPT OUT of mammography for the following reasons:
– Over-diagnosis of non-invasive “pre-cancers” leads to aggressive overtreatment for tens of thousands of women every year.
– Under-diagnosis (mammograms miss 40% of INVASIVE cancer in dense breast tissue).
– Unnecessary biopsies (80% are “false positives”) may cause pain and injury to sensitive breast tissue.
– Compression and radiation can cause pain and injury to sensitive breast tissue.
– Radiation is cumulative and can induce DNA damage and cancer.
– Extreme psychological distress results from all of the above.
Women are seeking breast imaging options such as automated whole breast ultrasound (ABUS) and QT Imaging.
Women who understand benefits and risks of breast cancer screening are happy to sign a waiver to OPT OUT of mammography.
Insurance coverage for safer options such as ABUS and QT Imaging as stand-alone options are needed.
Having a mammogram — or not — should be a personal decision based on balanced, unbiased information which weighs both the benefits and harms. No one should ever feel pressured, intimidated, bullied, coerced, or shamed for choosing NOT to have a mammogram.
Studies, videos and infographics explaining the scientific facts to support this petition can be found at Be W I S E
Please click the link and consider signing the petition!
INFORMED CHOICE in Breast Cancer Screening / Insurance for Ultrasound and QT Imaging
Please see my pages and posts below focused on PREVENTION & INFORMED CHOICE for EARLY DETECTION:
DCIS 411 