Response by American Society of Breast Surgeons

Bravo to ASBS! I had a surgeon who did not expect to find a malignancy even though the mammography showed something suspicious. But the biopsy showed two very small cancerous lumps. Thanks to my surgeon who excised until I had clean margins. One less breast later, I am now cancer free for over 5 years. All of this happened before I was 50. Sadly my surgeon did not know at the time he had late stage cancer and died before my three month checkup.

My life is worth the early detection of regular mammography, the effort to perform breast self-exam and the anxiety of being biopsied and waiting to hear. And thank you to Reach for Recovery the angels of the American Cancer society for sharing the gift of peace of mind.

 I want my children's generation to be encouraged to perform breast self-exam and to have easy access to affordable mammography. I hope this hurtful and insulting report creates an outcry of  the voices of people who know what life is like when you have a good prognosis due to early detection.                                   Signed, a nurse

And no doubt you believe that your income will be better because of all the unnecessary biopsies you'll be able to charge for. Follow the money.

IMO, no biopsy is unecessary.

Biopsies are far more lucrative for surgeons than mastectomies.

Transcend, I am not sure where you get your information, I know surgeons charge a great deal more for mast. than for bx.  And don't kid yourself, a few bx don't equal out to one mast.

Not sure who the doc was that sent you to such a negative side of physicans, but do hope you will find another who can change how you feel about doctors.

Good luck with that.

Long post gone into neverland. May have been subliminal message to myself.

 Will just say, not all is as it outwardly seems, much behind the scene lobbying, who speaks louder and more effectively, costly technological advances who someone has to pay for (that's us through premiums etc), re-shifting by CMS of physician groups' payments (pity the surgeons and pay dirt for interventional radiologists), less surgery proponent emphasis over more (directed through reimbursements) and much much more, including the elusive most accurate, lowest cost scenario as well as societal cost analysis (where rationing issues play out).

A conundrum abounds, better fasten your seat belt as we're in for a wild, rocky ride ahead.

My best to you all,

Tender

Also, we don't care under whose administration the panel was formed.  There is not one single breast cancer expert on the panel!  Republican or Democrat--what possible difference will that make to the women whose lives will be lost if these recommendations are adopted?

People have the right to express their beliefs/feelings/fears about these new recommendations without being called *sheep* for doing so.  What nerve.

BTW Whippetmom...love the Jer 1:5 sig!!

I ditto with whippetmom on the cost of bilat mastectomy....mine exceeded $100,000...

We women have a right to speak our concerns on these new guidelines, especially given the fact that if these guidelines were in place last year, many of us would be fighting a lot harder for our lives, not to mention the increase in costs.

$12,000 was a conservative estimate I came up with last year when I researched the breast surgeon's fees for performing a bilateral mastectomy - with a conjoined sum of $25,000 for the breast surgeon and plastic surgeon's portion of the surgery.  But what does it matter?  I could disprove your theory of the cost of an invasive surgery where breast tissue and fat and tumor are dissected, and the breasts are carved out like pita pockets, as being less than that of a procedure where a minute portion of a mass is performed via needle extraction in an office setting, but what will it prove?  I just cannot fathom why someone would make such an unkind and insensitive comment to women here about being "sheep", when we are just trying to fight a vicious disease.   I cannot understand going to a breast cancer forum and being cruel.  It just makes no sense to me whatsoever. 

The reason I spend my time here on these forums is for the comradery and friendship I have found, but the reason I stay, is to help women get through an important aspect of this disease.  I am here to help and inform and nurture and care for these women.  Some places on this earth should be hallowed and sacred and I just feel that a breast cancer forum is one of those places.  There are ways to express an opinion without castigation.  I know a lot of people are angry about this disease and their lives in general and it comes out viciously at times in the written word.  I am so very sorry that there are wounded souls out there.  But on another note - I am a sheep.  I am happy to be a sheep.  I have the most glorious Shepherd to follow....

TrancendCa--Question is a biopsy only worthwhile when cancer is found?  A biopsy is needed when something in mammography, ultrasound, or MRI is deemed suspicious.  It should be considered a good thing when a biopsy comes back b9, instead of an unneeded test.

I had to return for more pictures a few years ago, and yes it was stressful for a few days, since my mother died of bc, but it was way more stressful to hear I actually had bc 4 years later in the other breast. To me the argument that there are too many false positives is fallacious, whatever happened to the idea that ruling something out is a good thing?

KEW 

oh transcend, it must be beautiful weather up there on that pedestal.

We're sheep because we only listen to people who agree with us? So....what does that make you? It seems to me that you are discounting all the opinions that do not follow your own line of reasoning. We will not all agree about the merits of and the true reason behind this study/recommendation that has been put out. But disagreeing doesn't and shouldn't result in name calling and devaluing the women on this site. 

In the words of my high school softball coach: Grow up or Go Home. 

First of all-TRANSCENDCA-after all that I have been thru because of bc I sure as hell resent you calling me a sheep.  This is not the place for politics.  As we all are probably aware-bc is striking women at earlier and earlier ages, no longer is it an old womans disease. I just heard that they are also recommending pap smears be started at 21 and done every 2 years.  I find this all unbelievable.  I have never bought into the hype that womens health issues are not given enough attention but I must say this is leaning me towards feeling that way.

Hey stop the sheep shi*! lol My niece dressed up in a sheep's costume for Halloween and she dressed her baby daughter as little lamb! lol