Women’s health has benefitted from many significant advancements ∈ the past few decades, from new knowledge about women-specific health conditions all the way to advancing women’s lifespans. The focus on the health and wellness needs of women is stronger than ever before — and it’s saving millions of women’s lives. General health care research is critical, but women face a specific set of challenges that require understanding and awareness. And recently, they’ve been getting the attention they deserve.
Here is one of the advancements ∈ women’s health worth celebrating. Thirty years ago, breast cancer seemed to be an insurmountable challenge ∈ the medical field. In 1985, death rates were at an all-time high, when about 33 out of every 100.000 women lost their lives to the disease. What’s more, breast cancer prevention was a distant reality.Thanks to increased screening, breast cancer is now being detected earlier. In 1990, only half of all American women over 50 years old had a mammogram ∈ the past 2 years. Now, 73% of women over 50 years old have had a mammogram ∈ the past 2 years. This has led to an estimated 10% drop ∈ breast cancer deaths.
This jump ∈ screening can be largely attributed to awareness, but it’s also a result of the fact that most insurance companies are now required to cover breast cancer screening for women over 40 years old.What’s more, if breast cancer is found early, a woman’s chances of beating it are much higher. Federally-funded research has led to better treatment options, which has brought the death rate down from nearly 33 to about 21 out of every 100,000 women. Breast cancers that are considered inoperable are now being treated, thanks to hormonal medications. And breast-conserving surgery (lumpectomy) has replaced the full mastectomy for early-stage breast cancers — meaning more women can keep the bodies they love after fighting their battles.
The ultimate goal is to prevent cancer — not just diagnose and treat. When it comes to breast cancer, that’s becoming increasingly possible every day.
WOMEN´S health… Disponível em: http://chestercountyhospital.org/news Acesso em: out.2022. Adaptado.
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