What a Difference Early Cancer Screenings Can Make
Renae Kimble
August 26, 2015
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“Breast cancer is one of the most
common cancers among women in New York State. Each year in New York,
almost 15,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer and almost 2,700
women die from the disease. It is estimated that one in eight women
will develop breast cancer during her life,” according to the New York
State Department of Health.
We have just learned of the
heartbreaking story of Beverly Hills 90210 and Charmed star Shannen
Doherty, who recently confirmed that she is battling breast cancer.
While many celebrities have announced similar life altering
discoveries, Doherty’s case is unique in that she has filed a lawsuit
filed against her former business manager for allowing her health
insurance to lapse. The premise upon which the lawsuit is based: Early
cancer detection is critical to one’s choice of successful less
invasive cancer treatments.
According to media reports, Doherty was
diagnosed in March with invasive breast cancer that had spread to at
least one lymph node. She contends the cancer had spread while she was
uninsured. Her lawsuit further claims that if she had health insurance
at the time, the cancer could have been caught earlier and she would
not be facing the likely treatment of chemotherapy and a mastectomy.
The basis of her lawsuit highlights
what health care professionals and the Cancer Services Program of
Niagara County emphasize time and time again – namely, cancer shows no
partiality to the affluent, the disadvantaged or persons in between.
However, a difference in outcomes becomes apparent with comparing early
and late detection rates and access to care.
Timely breast cancer screenings – mammograms, breast examinations – are vital to the well-being of all women.
When cancer is discovered at an earlier
stage, an individual has more viable treatment options to choose from
than if the cancer has progressed to a more advanced stage. While
screening guidelines may vary depending on a woman’s age and risk,
mammograms remain the best way to detect early stage breast cancer.
When women are not diagnosed with
breast cancer until the disease’s latter stages, they are more likely
to die. In the case of Shannen Doherty and other women who fail to
obtain an early
cancer screening, a much more invasive
treatment is required to arrest, cure, stop or slow the spread of this
heinous disease.
Studies have shown that the lack of
health insurance is a tremendous barrier to regular mammogram
screening. The expanded health insurance options provided by the
Affordable Care Act, the New York State of Health insurance marketplace
and the Cancer Services Program of Niagara County help remove that
barrier by providing affordable or free access to screening and
diagnostic services.
In addition to the financial burden
faced by uninsured or underinsured individuals, several other factors
act as impediments to those in need of appropriate screenings.
Some receive health insurance coverage
but lack the ability to take time off from work to obtain their
recommended cancer screenings. One solution would be for employers to
provide dedicated time off solely for employees to receive cancer
screenings.
I strongly urge both as individuals and as a community that we support efforts to
increase cancer screening rates in
Niagara County. The case of Shannen Doherty is a wake-up call to all of
us about the importance of taking charge of our healthcare outcomes by
having
cancer screenings.
Even though there is a greater focus on
breast cancer in women, I must remind men that you are not immune.
About 150 men are diagnosed with breast cancer each year in New York,
according to the state Department of Health.
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