“It is a little age-discriminating.”
How does this sound from the 70-year-old Hanne Larsen from Køge.
She is tired of that she is now too old to be screened for breast cancer.
In Denmark, it is in fact how that you are no longer a part of the screeningprogrammet, as soon as you reach the age of 70 years, even though one might feel ‘young’.
“I’m not old on the way, as when my grandparents lived. It was a little more young and can and should be longer in the labour market. In addition, there is the greater risk of being affected by cancer, the older you are,” she says.
Hanne Larsen is not the only woman who wonders.
the Cancer society says to B. T., that the weekly gets more calls from women over the age of 70, who want to know why they are not allowed to participate in the screening programme.
A program that was introduced in 2007, and since then has contributed to the fact that the proportion of surviving breast cancer patients has increased.
According to Janne Bigaard, consultant physician and brystkirurg in Cancer society, there are several reasons why the older women ‘must not be with’:
“even Though the risk of getting cancer in the age is greater, so is the nodes less aggressive due. women less hormone production, and therefore develop knots slower, or the precursors can disappear again. Why would you risk that provide treatment for something that would not develop into actual disease, as well as creating unnecessary concern for some,” she says.
Hanne Larsen has faithfully participated in the screening programme, all women aged 50-69 years.
“It has given me a sense of security to get it check out. So it would be a huge security for me, if it could continue just five more years. If it is fast-growing cancer, so are you the death within a short time,” she says.
the Superintendent can, however, assure her that she and the other women, who have followed the screening programme, have a lower risk of developing cancer, because any significant precursors would then have been shown and have been Venüsbet removed.
Janne Bisgaard acknowledges, however, that the economic aspect is also part of the reason why women that Hanne Larsen can’t be screened.
“So that way I can see that one can feel discriminated against. But it is an issue, discussing whether one should extend the age limit of. There’s still research in the field, before it can happen,” she says and continues:
Hanne Larsen does not seem, it may be true that she herself must pay for a mammografiundersøgelse. She seems also, there should be an offer to the elderly.
“I feel that I’m too old for that the state will spend money on me. It is after all, not all old-age pensioners who can afford to pay,” says Hanne Larsen.
In the past week, it emerged that approximately 10 per cent. of the ‘young women’ in the Region of the Capital is absent from their mammografiundersøgelse and not cancel.
“I would like to have their space,” says Hanne Larsen.
At the Danish Cancer society is awaiting one of the ongoing research.
“We follow the research that is being made, and we will press on, if we see a good reason to change the age limit,” says Janne Bigaard.
Until then she thinks no, there is no reason that the older women even pay for a mammografiundersøgelse.
“It is not certain that the survey is well spent. There is a greater risk of non-specific changes, which must be examined and addressed, because it is difficult to say whether they will develop,” says the chief physician.
She predicts that in the future will be screening people based on lifestyle, family history and the density of the breast tissue. It will mean that some women will have more screening than others.
“So if you have high risk, so you might continue to be screened, even if one rounds the 70 years,” says Janne Bigaard.
From a political point of becoming Hanne Larsen’s concern taken seriously:
“I can well understand that the fresh older people can feel discriminated against, when the health care system gives up on them due. age. Therefore, it is relevant to discuss the age limits, we put, in view of the fact that longevity is increasing. Perhaps we could ask the Ethics Council to help with this assessment,” says sundhedsordfører Kirsten Normann Andersen (SF)
She has therefore asked the health minister Magnus Heunicke (S) to look at the issue.
