Is The American Cancer Society's Breast Cancer Info Biased?

(This a somewhat lengthy Blog but has some very pertinent information for African-American Women regarding Breast Cancer ... please READ ... Video follows)

I'm so Thankful for Roswell Park Cancer Institute and the fact that I was able to sit down with Doctors from Roswell during Breast Cancer Awareness Month and interview them regarding Breast Cancer ... the information I received was Eye-Opening for me "In General" .... but even MORE-SO REGARDING BLACK WOMEN!!!!

In speaking with the Experts at Roswell Park Cancer Institute I was informed that there are MAJOR DIFFERENCES regarding Breast Cancer where in concerns Black Women compared to White Women... to the extent....in my opinion... that there SHOULD BE SEPARATE DIRECTIVE'S FOR WOMEN REGARDING BREAST CANCER AWARENESS & SCREENING FOR IT!!!!

Here's Why and What I Learned ...The most PROFOUND piece of information I gathered from the Doctor's at Roswell is the FACT that:

AFRICAN-AMERICAN WOMEN UNDER AGE 35 HAVE RATES OF BREAST CANCER TWO TIMES HIGHER THAN WHITE WOMEN UNDER THE AGE OF 35 ...AND... EVEN MORE ENLIGHTENING ... AFRICAN-AMERICAN WOMEN ARE ON AVERAGE 40% MORE LIKELY TO DIE OF BREAST CANCER THAN WHITE WOMEN WITH BREAST CANCER!!!!!!

According to an article in The New York Times,

"in some cities, the risk is even greater. In Los Angeles, a black woman with breast cancer is about 70 percent more likely to die from the disease than a white woman is."

So here's my contention and CONFUSION ... The American Cancer Society HAS TO KNOW THESE SAME STATS ...HOWEVER...HAVE JUST ANNOUNCED THAT WOMEN SHOULD WAIT UNTIL 45 YEARS OF AGE TO GET SCREENED AND SHOULD GET SCREENED LESS OFTEN!!!!!

WHAT!!!!!!!!????? I'M APPALLED...BASED ON THE INFORMATION AVAILABLE!!!!

Does the American Cancer Society's announcement and directive suggest that BLACK WOMEN ARE NOT THE FOCUS OF THE AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY'S NEW INFO???? I contend the answer is a resounding ... YES!!!!!

Black Women UNDER 35 have a rate of Breast Cancer 2X that of White Women under 35 and are 40% more likely to die ...BUT ... The American Cancer Society has changed the advised age for BEGINNING screening to 45 years of age now ... changed from 40 years of age... (which the initial directive of 40 years of age still didn't match up with the previous mentioned statistics available regarding how Breast Cancer affects African-American Women!).

LISTEN to what Dr. Deb Irwin, PHD @ Roswell Park Cancer Institute when I asked her if there are differences in the way Breast Cancer affects Black Women compared to White Women.