On Monday, Nov 16, new Breast Cancer Screening Guidelines were released that raised many eyebrows and caused a great backlash against the guidelines. I may be a doctor, but I am not a medical doctor, and all I can rely on is what my trusted medical doctors say and the studies these guidelines are based on. Whether it's breast cancer, immunizing our children, or controversial questions such as “what really impacts the development of Autism?”, we have an individual responsibility to do our own research into the facts.
20-30 years ago hormone replacement therapy (HRT) was very popular and said to be safe. But if you were an adult during that time and read the research, you may have noticed some concerns and uncertainties about the safety of HRT (of that time, not at present). Later, warnings were put out that women who took HRT were at higher risk for breast cancer, especially those with a genetic risk as well. This is just one example in which looking at the studies that claims are being based on can greatly impact your decision on how you handle your health care.
Part of being mindful is being aware, and one way of becoming aware is educating yourself. Yes, listen to the experts, find good doctors that you trust, but don’t be afraid to do some research of your own. Even ask your doctor how he or she came to the conclusion on treatment, ask her about the studies he or she read about that helped inform the decision for your care.
My point is that we are our own advocates, and if we don’t look into the background of what is being reported to us in the news, we have no one to blame for the personal results but ourselves. Be proactive, do your research and ask questions. There’s nothing more empowering than educating yourself on health care concerns that may personally impact you or a loved one today or in the future.
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