Rep. Jean Schmidt: "October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month"
My friend and colleague Congresswoman Jo Ann Davis passed away Saturday, October 6, 2007, after a 2 year battle with breast cancer. She was only 57 years old. I wrote about Breast Cancer Awareness month in 2005, but her death should serve as an unfortunate reminder about this tragic disease. Roughly 400,000 women have been diagnosed with, and 80,000 women have passed away from breast cancer since my last column.
According to the Centers for Disease Control Ohio ’s incidence rate for breast cancer is lower than the national average at 117.1 cases per 100,000 persons, compared to 119 nationally. This is a good thing. Ohio ’s death rate, however, is higher than the national average at 27.9 deaths per 100,000 people compared to 25.2 nationally. This is a bad thing. This cannot be easily explained, but it is telling of the work we have ahead of us.
The good news is that those survival rates are improving. Technological improvements and earlier detections have both contributed to these survival rates. According to the National Cancer Institute, today, 5 year survival rates approach 88% and ten year survival rates approach 80%. We know that early detection improves outcome rates exponentially. Regular testing is the best way to ensure early detection.
The American Cancer Society (ACS) gives the following testing recommendations:
Yearly mammograms are recommended starting at age 40 and continuing for as long as a woman is in good health.
Clinical breast exam (CBE) should be part of a periodic health exam, about every 3 years for women in their 20s and 30s and every year for women 40 and over.
Women should know how their breasts normally feel and report any breast change promptly to their health care providers. Breast self-exam (BSE) is an option for women starting in their 20s.
Women at high risk (greater than 20% lifetime risk) should get an MRI and a mammogram every year. Women at moderately increased risk (15% to 20% lifetime risk) should talk with their doctors about the benefits and limitations of adding MRI screening to their yearly mammogram. Yearly MRI screening is not recommended for women whose lifetime risk of breast cancer is less than 15%.
Further, the ACS has created a helpful mammogram reminder, which will send you annual emails to let you when it is time to schedule an exam. Click here to sign up.
Survival rates are also improving due to technological advancements in detection and treatment techniques. As a State Representative, I passed a law that increased the reimbursement rate that medical facilities would receive for mammograms. This ensures that the best possible technology is available for women in the State of Ohio , especially in our more rural areas.
As a Member of Congress, I have consistently advocated for increased research funding to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) which include the National Cancer Institute. NIH estimates it will spend about $717 million on breast cancer research this year. Though this seems like a large amount, it is very small compared to the costs of cancer treatment, lost wages, and early deaths. If a simple and effective treatment, cure, or preventative measure could be found, countless lives and billions of dollars would be saved in treatment and economic costs.
So if you are a woman, married to a woman, or have one as a mother, please remember that early detection saves lives, and to take the appropriate action for yourself or your loved ones.
If you would like more information please visit these sites:
