[alicem]

To Quote PJ Hamel:

"Then there’s the financial cost. Billions of dollars will be saved on screening and treatment if these new guidelines are followed. And let’s not be disingenuous here; the bottom line is where it’s at, for many of our lawmakers."

It is ALWAYS about the money it seems. What value should there be placed on 1,000 lives saved . . . on 100 lives saved . . . on ONE LIFE SAVED? Yours, mine, your loved ones?????

I just cannot buy the argument that unnecessary biopsies and screenings causes harm. What a bunch of #^@(!!*@&^#*&^@! You are right Brenda, we are stronger than that.

And for another quote from her article . . .

"And the cost and pain of treatment for stage 0 breast cancer (in situ, non-invasive cancer). Many researchers feel that even without treatment, the majority of such cancers would remain dormant throughout a woman’s lifetime, never threatening her health."


When my cancer was first diagnosed, that was exactly my results. What wonderful words, "stage 0"; "in situ"; "non-invasive". My oncologist told me I was fortunate - no chemo, everything caught early, I would be virtually "cured" with its removal. I even felt guilty that I was so lucky! Then came the mastectomy and the discovery of an invasive tumor - and chemo - and no "cure" - good odds but still a chance of recurrence. MY GOODNESS, IF I WOULDN'T HAVE HAD THE "COST AND PAIN OF TREATMENT" THIS MONSTER WOULD HAVE KEPT GROWING INSIDE OF ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHAT A SCARY THOUGHT!!! I'd give anything to go back to that original diagnosis and that treatment plan. I'd give anything to never have to poison my body with chemo. Sure, there are DCIS cancers that never do become invasive. But the ?"unnecessary"? cost and the treatment of those cancers far outweighs waiting to see if they become invasive, become stage 2, 3, or 4 and then trying to treat it. Which one of you here with stage 2, 3, or 4 would refuse to trade places with a "stage 0" cancer patient if you could???? Comparing the cost of removing the initial cancer to the cost of treating the invasive cancer with chemo is like night and day. If just one cancer could be found at stage 0, it would be worth it to me, but that is not even the case. Thousands are found every year, and the trauma and expense of chemo are avoided and lower survival odds are achieved.

GIVE ME A BREAK, REALLY!!!!!!!!!!