Mammograms & BSE Save Lives! Tell the USPSTF To Respect The Breast.

The undersigned of this petition urge President Obama and their State Senators* to work together to establish whatever necessary legislative efforts are required to re-assess the USPSTF report of 11/16/09 and to protect women against insurance carriers using this to refuse women life-saving medical coverage and testing.

If left to stand, millions of women who did not have to will die.

Summary: On 11/16/09 the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) announced it had reduced breast cancer preventative screening guidelines, including:

- Preventative mammography no longer be part of health care for women under 50;
- After 50, preventative mammography ONLY every OTHER year; and
- The USPSTF's recommendation "against teaching breast self-examination (BSE)”

These newly redacted guidelines were summarily rejected by, among others, the American Cancer Society, the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation, and the American Society for Breast Disease. Numerous other organizations and medical professionals who are experts in the field of oncology have rejected the guidelines as well.

It is worth noting:

1. Not one member of the USPSTF is an oncology specialist;
2. The reports the USPSTF used to reduce recommended cancer screenings were, in fact, not originally studies designed to measure breast cancer screening effectiveness nor were they necessarily recent reports.
3. USPSTF guidelines are typically what insurance companies use to dictate what they will cover.

Regardless of HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius’ attempt to ameliorate the political maelstrom that has ensued, the fact remains these guidelines are used by insurance companies and if left unchallenged, could and would be used as the basis for an acceptable reduction in coverage guildelines. Millions of women across the United States will face cutbacks in their preventative cancer care benefits, and many will die as a result of avoidably facing a later-stage cancer diagnosis.

There has been a greater than 30% improvement in the number of women’s lives saved from breast cancer in the United States since the preventative breast care now being dismissed by the USPSTF was instituted. The number of women in their 20s and 30s in the US now being diagnosed with breast cancer continues to rise at an alarming rate, and the number of women who were able to recover from an earlier-breast cancer stage diagnosis through less invasive treatments and go on to be active participants in their life and community is directly correlated to the improved knowledge and tools available in the fight against breast cancer. The new USPSTF guidelines run counter to all of this and are an unacceptable diminishment of women's health care.

Please help us Respect The Breast. Sign and send your voice on today.

Thank you.
Helen Morey Gallo
Founder, Respect The Breast Initiative

*This petition is also being forwarded to the attention of two key media personnel within the USPSTF: Ms. Karen Migdail (Director of Media Relations) and Ms. Morgan Liscinsky (also within the Media Relations team).