Breast Checks, Mammograms and The US Preventive Services Task Force

In a recent CNN article, By Elizabeth Landau, CNN
November 17, 2009 3:40 p.m. EST It reads:

"New guidelines from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force say that women age 40 to 49 don't need to have routine mammograms anymore and that breast self-exams aren't recommended in general. The group found no evidence that self-exams reduce breast cancer death rates, and it discourages teaching women how to examine themselves."

I have a question...

So the USPSTF is telling me that self exams do not reduce cancer death rates. OK... but how does stopping self exams decrease the cancer death rate? It's a flawed correlation.

The whole reason we fund research is so we can reduce the cancer death rate. No one has figured out how to kill cancer so it doesn't kill us. I think it's illogical to suggest that discouraging self breast checks and reducing mammograms is a step towards the end goal of eradicating cancer.

The real question should be: What is the corellation between early detection and life expectancy? We all die of something and if cancer (and all the treatments) have weakened the body in the past, cancer may very well be the EVENTUAL cause of death.

HOWEVER (and this is a big huge HOWEVER) early detection is a key component to A LONGER LIFE. Cancer grows and spreads, so finding it early MATTERS. Cancer can be cleaned out of our body for a time, and while it might kill eventually (= previously mentioned cancer death rate) catching it early can drastically increase how long we live!

Alas, apparently the "emotional weight" of doing self exams is way too much for all us sensitive women folk. Yah, it's in the article.

Excuse me?
The implication that we as women are too weak and/or too ignorant to perform a self breast exam so we just needn't bother is not only denial at its best but also offensive.

I have another question...

The article suggests that generally, women should be aware of their bodies and should notice something like a lump on their breasts the same way they would notice a change on one of their arms.

Just curious: does the person making these "recommendations" have an arm AND a breast? In case not, I want take a moment to explain a couple of important differences.

1) Generally speaking, breasts are circular and round, fleshy and full. A great place for cancer to hide out unseen for awhile. Arms... yah, not really the same thing.
2) There's this thing called BREAST Cancer, that arms don't get. Hence the reasons for mammograms, and not armmograms.

Hope clears things up a bit.

But WHY OH WHY as women would we subject ourselves to the emotional and intellectual drain of self breast exams anyway? The article clearly states that what might be discovered is probably not cancer. "those who did check themselves had almost twice as many biopsies with benign results as those who did not." Let me get this straight: are we hearing a human life is not worth the cost of a biopsy if the odds (imposed by a control group studied at a certain point in time and place) dictate that it is probably not cancer?

Attention: IT COULD BE CANCER! That's why we do a biopsy.

PS: A human life is worth the cost of a biopsy - even if the same person EVENTUALLY dies from cancer.

OK, I have another question.

Let's say I'm younger than 50 and I'm an EXTRA brave woman who can handle the intellectual strain and emotional pressure of preventative breast care and I find a lump.

OH NO, I did a self breast exam unsanctioned by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force! Shame on me for checking my breasts by myself. Shame on me for finding a lump that's twice as likely to be benign. Shame on me for finding it before my yearly approved mammogram during my post 50 years of life! Shame on me for wanting to test it and see if I need to have it removed or not.

Should I tell my doctor?

After all, I was not following approved USPSTF recommended breast awareness behavior. Will I get care, or is there a special holding cell for rogue breast checkers like myself?

Just thought I'd ask.

Dan Simons, An Editor Mouths Off

Dan Simons wrote this brilliant article about Save the ta-tas. We had such a laugh here at the office we had to share. Thanks Dan, you're hilarious and we're so glad you gifted us with your talent!

http://oaklandpostonline.com/readStory.php?a_id=1597

Design your own breast cancer fighting tee!

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Here's the info, you could win $500 of ta-tas®Brand merchandise!

Enter today!

http://www.lemondrop.com/2009/10/16/you-can-design-lemondrops-new-breast-cancer-awareness-t-shirt/javascript:void(0)

The Wendy Williams Show

Wonderful news for the cause of Boob Lube! I was invited to introduce Wendy Williams on her show, The Wendy Williams Show, this week in the Big Apple.

I love New York. The blessed smell of concrete, mall perfume and food carts... the screams and honks ... and those awesome old skool hats New York's finest wear. Sweet.

And it was so cool to be there with Wendy! The show was so fun. Dancing at 10 in the morning on the stage! The audience whooped it up. I got to introduce her and then she spent time talking about Boob Lube, our all natural soap packaged in a reminder bottle that's a calendar with instructions for doing a self breast exam.

I surprised Wendy by giving her an "I love my Big ta-tas" tee shirt. We all got a big laugh!

Wendy is raw and HILARIOUS. Her personality is incredible, I wished I could have gone to Jersey with her and painted the town red. She is just that much fun.

If you haven't watched her show yet, you gotta check it out. She has some big stars on, and it's totally light hearted. You probably won't cry (unless they are tears of laughter) Which, these days, is nice cause life seems to be a bit tougher.

Thanks Wendy for giving us props, and for your show that brings easy laughter to us all in these trying times. You're hilarious and I wish you the best of luck with your new show!!

Check out the Wendy Williams show today
http://www.wendyshow.com/watch-it/

And to see my intro go to:
http://savethetatas.com/happenings.htm

"How you doin?"

Talking About Breast Cancer in the 1970's

Everyone always asks me how breast cancer affected me personally. Well, I remember the very first time I learned about breast cancer. I was in the car with my Mom after I first noticed Grandma had a solid, pointy chest. We had said our goodbyes and were driving away and I asked my Mom, "Why does Grandma have such a hard chest?"

At that moment, my mother told me why. Grandma got breast cancer, she had to have her breasts removed and now she had foam cones. My mom was very discreet, yet direct about girl body stuff with me.

Now, bear in mind this was the 1970's ... and there was still a huge blanket of shame and secrecy covering breast cancer. So, to protect my Grandmother's feelings, the issue was not discussed openly, and most certainly not with her directly. But this was societal and it was a "taboo" subject. You just didn't talk about it.

It's hard to stand where we are now (in a society that's much more open about this topic and so many others) and fully grasp how difficult it was for women, just a generation ago. They bore alone the humiliation of having their breasts cut off with no options for reconstruction or even emotional and community support. There was no internet to log on to and find millions of sisters fighting alongside you. No, you suffered alone in silence. And how could you ask for information, or help, if you couldn't even talk about it? The resources for healing were very limited.

Some women, even today, suffer alone in silence. Shame can still taint the topic of breast cancer, but it doesn't have to. I think there are a few ways we can start to tackle this subject together.

1) Moms: talk to your daughters. Surviving that awkward moment together will bring you closer and the information you provide may save your daughter's life someday. I'm glad my Mom told me, and your daughter will be too.

2) If you're a woman who lived through breast cancer in a generation where it wasn't discussed, get online and look at all the resources you have now. So much has changed! Talk to your doctor, read books survivors have written. Share your feelings with a trusted loved one. Just a few ideas, to start the process of recovering from an unfair burden of silence you've carried alone for so long. Your journey, your life, is so important and your loss experience may very well help someone else, and you'll both gain so much in return.

And hey, if you find a resource you love and want to share - something that helped you, please post it and share it with others. Let's keep this important conversation going...

David Cook ROCKS!

David Cook, Thank you so much for supporting us! YOU ROCK!!!

Cool! We've got one of the top emailed photos on Yahoo!

Check it out! Yeah ta-tas!

http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/Most-Recommended-Photos/ss/1750;_ylt=AoUlolE9P08cdBGEwT.zeQxsaMYA