Written by Billie S Pieters
With recent news about breast cancer and mammogram studies many young women are confused at what they should do to help prevent or if they can, diagnose breast cancer.New studies were released recently about when women should get mammograms or if they should even get mammograms. For those young adults who may have missed the uproar, The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force under the Department for Health and Human put out a report stating it [The USPSTF]”recommends against routine screening mammography in women aged 40 to 49 years. The decision to start regular, biennial screening mammography before the age of 50 years should be an individual one and take patient context into account, including the patient’s values regarding specific benefits and harms.”They are also quoted as saying,”the current evidence is insufficient to assess the additional benefits and harms of screening mammography in women 75 years or older.”On the other hand, The American Cancer Society suggests that”women age 40 and older should have a screening mammogram every year, and should continue to do so for as long as they are in good health.”Though most of Harding students are too young to start a yearly mammogram regimen. This could affect how their mothers and grandmothers think of cancer screening. This in turn could affect how they [young women] think of mammograms.Breast cancer is something that a lot of young women and men don’t think about often. That is why Breast Cancer Awareness month is helpful in the college atmosphere. Sports teams and organizations throughout the month wear pink to show awareness of the second leading cause of death from cancer in American women.Keeping the spirit alive even into the month of December is YouTube’s latest hit,The Pink Glove Dance.EvenFox Newsis in on the story. What most news organizations would call “fluff,” this video gave light to a Portland, Oregon hospital and it’s fight against breast cancer.
