Identify and discuss the importance of and the purpose for preventive medicine for women's health

Introduction

There are many preventive measures that can help women to maintain a good health. In this research paper, we are going to discuss all the preventive method for breast cancer. Every year, according to the National Cancer Institute (NCD, almost 180,000 women in the United States are diagnosed with breast cancer. This represents 32 percent of all cancers in women. Sadly, about 46,000 women die each year from breast cancer. With 46,000 deaths, breast cancer ranks just behind lung cancer as the leading cause of cancer death in women. Breast cancer does not affect women from different ethnic backgrounds in the same way. For example, breast cancer incidence rates are increasing faster among Hispanic and American Indian women than among other women. And the mortality rate is much higher for black women than other women (NCI, 1997). Also very small tumors--which are detected by mammography—are 100 percent curable without disfiguring surgery. As a result of these studies, most insurance companies that were not covering this procedure in the past are now covering mammography. Mammography is recommended for all women above the age of 40 and for women in their 30s if there is a history of breast cancer in their families. While not as effective as mammography, clinical breast examination is also a form of early detection for breast cancer. Through this procedure, physicians can detect small tumors that might be cancerous. Annual clinical breast examination is recommended for all women above the age of 20. In this research, paper we are going to evaluate some important methods of preventive measurement for the breast cancer in women.

Discussion

Preventive medical care services are divided into two categories. Some services reduce the probability of getting sick, such as vaccinations; Ehrlich and Becker (1972) call these services self-protection. These services are commonly known as primary preventive care. Other preventive medical care services do not reduce the probability of getting sick but reduce the consequences of illness through early detection, such as mammography, clinical breast examination, Pap smear test, and a blood pressure check. These are examples of secondary preventive medical care, and Ehrlich and Becker call them self-insurance.

Mammography

Mammography is a low-dose x-ray procedure that is the most valuable and effective method of breast imaging. One of the most important benefits of mammography is the ability to detect small tumors that may not be detected by physical examination. Compared to CBE and BSE that can detect tumors as small as Yz inch in diameter, a mammogram can detect a tumor as small as V. inch in diameter (Hassey Dow, 1996). The probability of detecting breast cancer tumors by using mammograms is up to 94 percent, while the probability of breast cancer detection by using CBE is up to 70 percent. Mammography, therefore, is much more effective than CBE and BSE in detecting small tumors. Studies show that mammography tremendously increases the chance of survival. According to the Department of Health ...