Disturbing news item in Sunday's NY Daily News,Pg38:

coloCan

"Economy Stalls Cancer Testing":

"As the economy falters, low-incomewomen in New York and other states are being turned away or put on long waiting lists for free cancer screenings, the American Cancer Society says.

"New York used to screen women of all ages for breast cancer but after$3.5million in budget cuts this year,women under 50 are no longer eligible unless they have the breast cancer gene or a serious family cancer history.

"Providers in manhattan, Brooklyn, western Queens, Long Island and Westchest project they'll perform nearly 15,000 fewer free mammograms for the fiscal year ending April 2010.

"Project Renerwal Van Scan, which gives mammograms around New York City,usually targets 6,000 women a year but has cut back to 3,100 this year.

"Its unclear how many women are being turned away.

""I Already know there are women who are dyinmg whose lives we could have saved with mammography and other detections" ,said Dr Otis Brawley, chief medical officer for the cancer society."

A sorry state of affairs that will undoubtedly worsen, not only in NY but throughout the US due to the economy and bankrupt local,city, state gov'ts.....Steve

John23

Not that disturbing
There was a bit more to this story, and it's been posted on an
earlier thread. The money is there, and they don't know why
they are being turned away... it sounded more like a political
posturing move, than an actual and factual news item.

If it's got to do with "health care" and "tax money", it's going to
be in the news until the "other party" gets their power back.

Once they regain control, we won't hear about these nasty things,
just like we didn't hear them throughout the last eight years.

I hate politics almost as much as I hate cancer.

coloCan

John23 said:

Not that disturbing
There was a bit more to this story, and it's been posted on an
earlier thread. The money is there, and they don't know why
they are being turned away... it sounded more like a political
posturing move, than an actual and factual news item.

If it's got to do with "health care" and "tax money", it's going to
be in the news until the "other party" gets their power back.

Once they regain control, we won't hear about these nasty things,
just like we didn't hear them throughout the last eight years.

I hate politics almost as much as I hate cancer.

Thats why we;re in the messes we're in:Politics/Politicians
whether its global warming, economic disaster, Social Security bankruptcy,the looming coming apart of the health care system even with reform (aging population)finding cures for cancers and other diseases........Steve

usakat

Whatever the reason...
...it is a sad state of affairs if fewer women have fewer options and less access to breast cancer screening. For a woman who needs screening but can't get it, it doesn't really matter who or what is standing in the way.

Realistically though, as local, state, and Federal governments suffer the consequences of runaway spending and mismanagement, it's the people at large who suffer the most.

Perhaps the Susan G. Koman organization can step in and fill in the gaps.