“We need to listen to what the people are saying.” — OBA MP Leah Scott, May 29, 2015, House of Assembly.

On April 20, 2015, in a press release, the American College of Radiology [ACR] highlighted its concerns with the draft United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) guidelines on breast cancer screening recommendations:

• It would result in thousands of additional and unnecessary breast cancer deaths each year;

• Does not comply with the Institute of Medicine [IOM] recommendations for guideline development — widely regarded as the medical standard;

• Methods used by USPSTF do not meet the IOM thresholds to be considered “trustworthy guidelines”;

• No breast cancer experts sit on the task force that created these recommendations;

• Did not allow participation of breast cancer or breast screening experts at meetings where evidence was reviewed.

On April 20, 2015, in its Practice Advisory on breast cancer screening, the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists [ACOG], which represents 90 per cent of US board-certified Ob-Gyns, recommended that screening mammography be offered to women age 40 years and older.

On May 22, 2015, Jeanne Atherden, Minister of Health, Seniors and Environment, tabled an amendment to the Health Insurance Act 1970 which proposed adopting the highly controversial USPSTF guidelines, “which recommend biennial screening for healthy, asymptomatic women aged 50 to 74 years”.

On June 1, 2015, Kim Wilson, Shadow Minister of Health, stated: “We’re calling on the Government to reconsider this particular provision, namely section five of the amendment, principally for the sake of women and those that love women.

“At the end of the day, this is a very, very draconian step to be taken when we have made so much progress and all the scientific evidence supports the benefits of early screening.

“We should not be putting a price at substituting a person’s health, particularly a woman’s health and her choice in so far as how she wishes to be screened and preventative techniques for ensuring early detection of cancers in her breasts.”

On June 3, 2015, in a letter to the public, the majority of Bermuda’s obstetricians and gynecologists stated that they “support annual mammography screening beginning at age 40” and “strongly urge the Government to reconsider prematurely passing their proposed legislation, especially given that this legislation is based on draft recommendations that have not even been adopted and are not supported by ACOG, ACS nor ACR”.

“Other US medical organisations that also currently recommend annual screening beginning at age 40 include the American Cancer Society [ACS], the American College of Radiology [ACR] and the Society for Breast Imaging [SBI].

“We wish to point out that in its draft recommendations, the USPSTF states, ‘the decision to start screening mammography in women prior to age 50 years should be an individual one. Women who place a higher value on the potential benefit than the potential harms may choose to begin biennial screening between the ages of 40 and 49 years’.”

In contrast, under Government’s proposed legislation, only “women with a family history or other risk factors will still be covered for testing with a physician referral at any age”.

We should emphasise that 75 per cent of breast cancers occur in women without a family history or other risk factors.

On June 3, 2015, the Bermuda Cancer and Health Centre announced that it “will continue to follow the recommendations of the American Cancer Society for screening for breast cancer, which is for women to begin annual screening at 40 years of age and to continue for as long as they are in good health and wish to carry on screening”.

On June 3, 2015, an online petition opposing the proposed changes in mammogram screening received more than 1,400 signatures in a few days.

Is Health Minister Atherden listening to the thousands of Bermudians who are against this legislation?

Is MP Nandi Outerbridge listening to the thousands of Bermudians who are against this legislation?

Is MP Susan Jackson listening to the thousands of Bermudians who are against this legislation?

Is MP Patricia Gordon-Pamplin listening to the thousands of Bermudians who are against this legislation?

Is Senator Georgia Marshall listening to the thousands of Bermudians who are against this legislation?

Is Senator Lynn Woolridge listening to the thousands of Bermudians who are against this legislation?

Is MP Leah Scott listening to the thousands of Bermudians who are against this legislation?

We shall see.