Study Documents Need To Address Mammography Pain In Black Women
YAHoseba
researchers documents the urgent need to ease mammography pain
experienced by many African-American women," said Baylor breast surgeon
Gail Lebovic, M.D.
The study, published in the August 2005 issue of the Journal of
Community Health, found that 76% of African-American women reported
mammography discomfort, with 96% of them blaming machine compression.
Of those women, a statistically significant percentage said discomfort
from the procedure made it less likely they would have another
mammogram within two years. The survey encompassed 530 black women, age
45 and older, who lived in urban settings.
"Unfortunately, African-American women are already less likely than
white American women to get regular mammograms. We know that black
women are more likely to die of breast cancer because they present at a
later stage of disease," Dr. Lebovic said. "This new study now shows
that, due to mammography pain, many black women don't get mammograms
that could save their lives. These findings underscore the medical
necessity of making mammography more comfortable."
Dr. Lebovic is the inventor of the MammoPad breast cushion, an
FDA-cleared, soft foam pad designed to make mammograms more
comfortable. Numerous published clinical studies have shown MammoPad
significantly reduces the kind of pain that deters women from getting
regular mammograms.
Among African-American women who have benefited from the MammoPad is
Gratia Wright, a focus group moderator and owner of First Research,
based in Greensboro, N.C. "I knew the value of annual mammograms
before, but the pain of getting them was so excruciating that I
stopped," she said. "Learning about the breast cushion made it possible
for me to get mammograms again, and without pain." Wright added that
she hoped MammoPad, in conjunction with the new study findings, will
"encourage more African-American women to get the regular mammograms
they need.
Dr. Lebovic noted that in addition to the breast cushion, other steps
to reduce mammography pain include taking an analgesic before the exam,
and not scheduling a mammogram in the week before a woman's menstrual
period, when her breasts are more likely to be tender.
"Reducing mammography discomfort will help us all reach our shared goal
of making sure that every woman gets regular screening mammograms,
which have been demonstrated to save lives," said Jill Anderson,
President of BioLucent, Inc., maker of MammoPad. "This effort is
especially important for minority women, who have lower rates of breast
screening than Caucasian women.
The study by Johns Hopkins researchers has been given added urgency by
publication of a separate study by the National Medical Association.
Released in late July, this study reported that African-Americans have
become even more likely to die of cancer than whites. While the death
rate for cancer has been declining for both races, the study found
there has been more progress in reducing cancer deaths among whites.
"Taken together, these two studies point to something of a crisis in
healthcare for African-American women," said Dr. Lebovic. "In order to
decrease the death rates from breast cancer in the underserved
community, it's essential that we use proven measures to make it easier
for African-American women to get regular mammograms."
Dr. Lebovic is an internationally recognized breast surgeon
specializing in oncoplastic surgery. Now lead surgeon at Baylor Breast
Care Specialists of North Texas, she has previously held positions at
Stanford University Medical Center and the University of Southern
California/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center. She is a co-founder of
BioLucent, Inc. and a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, and
sits on the board of the American Society of Breast Disease.
BioLucent, Inc. designs and manufactures innovative, unique products to
increase patient comfort during mammography, while also ensuring
high-quality images. For more information about the company and the
MammoPad breast cushion, call (toll-free) 866-460-4141 or access:
www.mammopad.com
PRESS CONTACT:
Dowling & Dennis Public Relations
Liz Dowling, (760) 942-2544
LizDowl...@aol.com
*****
Join Keepers Of The Nest
A group for Torah only *Hebrew Israelite Moms.
*called bywords such as black, african american, etc.
http://groups.google.com/group/Keepers-Of-The-Nest