New guidelines will hurt women's health

I am deeply concerned for the women of this country, given the new findings by medical researchers as it pertains to mammograms and pap smears. During my entire adult life women have struggled to have our concerns be recognized by the medical industry, whether it is with doctors, who are mostly male or insurance companies who seem to try to find ways to reduce coverage. Great progress has been made to reduce the number of cases of cervical cancer with annual pap smears where there is also a thorough examination of the breasts followed by mammograms which have significantly reduced the deaths from breast cancer. Now we have Dr. Alan G. Waxman who was co-author of the new guidelines telling us that our annual pap smears are no longer necessary and our annual mammograms may not be necessary. What in the world is he thinking. I know many women, young women, whose lives have been saved because of these procedures and because they see the doctor on an annual basis for a thorough exam.

Are we to believe that we can simply relax those practices because Waxman thinks that finding an abnormality causes unnecessary anxiety. What do we want, ladies, some anxiety or undetected cancer. I will choose the anxiety any day over undetected cancer cells.

I personally have sailed right on through mammograms ever year since my 45th birthday, until this past year when the beginning of cancer growth was detected and subsequently excised. I was totally surprised when the new digital mammography machine clearly identified the growth. If I had waited a year because that is what the medical profession is suggesting, I would have had a significantly different outcome shortening my life. The next question I have has to do with the timing of these new announcements. I doubt that it is coincidence in the light of the proposed health care changes. Think about it ladies and I hope you disregard Dr. Waxman’s recommendations and guidelines and remain in charge of your own health and life. I will encourage my daughter, who just celebrated her 26th birthday, and my nieces and granddaughters to get their annual pap smear and start their mammography exams no later than 45 years of age. And, men, please be supportive of your women and encourage them to be proactive in their health care, every single year!

MARCIA PHILLIPS

Careywood