"New/Proposed Medical Guidelines"
Recently we all read or heard of new guidelines for the use of the"PSA" also known as "prostate specific antigen" blood test for males to detect the onset of prostate cancer in males. If I recall correctly it was determined that there is really no need for this test.
A few days later I was in a discussion with a fellow citizen about this announcement. It was stated that this was probably established as a new/proposed guideline to reduce medical test expenses now that our "New Health Care System" will soon be coming on line.
More recently I also heard that the recommendation for the first baseline evaluation mammogram for breast cancer detection be established as age 50 versus the previously published age of 40. You can quickly view for your self the many websites that are discussing this matter with a quick internet search using the topic: "mammogram guidelines."
Therefore there is much confusion for the citizens as well as the health care professionals in the United States. Are these new guidelines/proposals being generated to reduce future health care cost? Are these new guidelines/proposals founded on accurate research? Of course I could post many questions/concerns about these new developments.
Then, on Friday, November 11, 2011 I was reading my local print media "The Telegraph" distributed in Macon, Georgia. A certain radiation oncologist published an article entitled "Prostate cancer is literally killing Georgia's men."
The article cited the drafted recommendation from the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) concerning the PSA test. He concluded his article with this sentence, which I quote regarding why should a young 40 year old male die from this disease of prostate cancer if a timely PSA test can not be funded: "How would your proposed recommendations help this young man delay death from his cancer?"
I post this entry today to simply point out that there are those who are concerned about proper medical care while it also appears that there are those who have no medical expertise in Urological/Oncological matters are now proposing new "Federal Guidelines."
It this the future of our Medical Care in the United States of America? I sincerely hope that the good folks at the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) become aware in a most timely manner that their recommendations/proposals may indeed have dangerous consquences. If money is there motivation I am confident that early detection is far less expensive than acute care anyday.
Dr. James B. Benton, I appreciate your concern and on behalf of one Georgia Man I hope your column is well read and even mailed to our duly elected leaders as well as our Surgeon General.
Should any reader desire to contact our Surgeon General, which I would encourage, here is the contact information:
Therefore there is much confusion for the citizens as well as the health care professionals in the United States. Are these new guidelines/proposals being generated to reduce future health care cost? Are these new guidelines/proposals founded on accurate research? Of course I could post many questions/concerns about these new developments.
Then, on Friday, November 11, 2011 I was reading my local print media "The Telegraph" distributed in Macon, Georgia. A certain radiation oncologist published an article entitled "Prostate cancer is literally killing Georgia's men."
The article cited the drafted recommendation from the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) concerning the PSA test. He concluded his article with this sentence, which I quote regarding why should a young 40 year old male die from this disease of prostate cancer if a timely PSA test can not be funded: "How would your proposed recommendations help this young man delay death from his cancer?"
I post this entry today to simply point out that there are those who are concerned about proper medical care while it also appears that there are those who have no medical expertise in Urological/Oncological matters are now proposing new "Federal Guidelines."
It this the future of our Medical Care in the United States of America? I sincerely hope that the good folks at the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) become aware in a most timely manner that their recommendations/proposals may indeed have dangerous consquences. If money is there motivation I am confident that early detection is far less expensive than acute care anyday.
Dr. James B. Benton, I appreciate your concern and on behalf of one Georgia Man I hope your column is well read and even mailed to our duly elected leaders as well as our Surgeon General.
Should any reader desire to contact our Surgeon General, which I would encourage, here is the contact information:
Regina M. Benjamin, MD, MBA
Surgeon General of the United States
Room 18-66
5600 Fishers Lane
Rockville, Maryland 20857
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