Planned Parenthood and breast cancer

In its June 13 issue, Time magazine reports that “early detection (of cancer) is considered effective if more diagnoses mean fewer people die.” Especially is this true in the mortality rate of breast cancer. Time cites figures from the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force showing that by 1975 mammograms were being introduced and by 1985 mammograms were in widespread use. Along with treatment advances, mammography has reduced the U.S. breast cancer mortality rate by 30 percent since 1989. There is every reason to hope that even these encouraging figures will improve.

Planned Parenthood has been claiming that abortions are only 3 percent of the services it offers, citing breast cancer screening as an offered service. When questioned how they did this breast cancer screening, officials said that they did manual palpitation. If a lump was felt, a woman was referred to her doctor.

When asked if Planned Parenthood had any mammogram machines in their facilities they had to admit that they did not. Of course mammograms have to be read by a radiologist and they probably wouldn’t have one on staff in most of their clinics. So their cancer screening consists of palpitation, which most women do for themselves and which was available pre-1975. If they were serious about diagnosis of breast cancer, it seems they would concentrate on available updated technology.

Planned Parenthood is fighting to retain its public funding and wants us to ignore the more than 300,000 abortions a year they admit to doing each year. If this number represents 3 percent of their service, it means that they are performing 9,900,000 palpitations and other procedures — a number that challenges credulity.

Priscilla Weese

Wheaton