Blue Breasts and Sore Pain: Muriel Chamber Convinces Breast Examination Should Be More Female-Friendly | internal

This became evident in the ensuing debate between the various MPs and Ernst Kuipers, Minister for Health, Social Welfare and Sport. Van der Dirag and her family heard her from the sidelines after her speech. “I am very happy to discuss,” she said. It was comprehensive and objective. Sometimes even bright. I have a good feeling about that.”

Van der Durag was thanked by MPs and the minister for putting breast cancer research on the map. The presentation of the Citizens’ Initiative is a special matter, as Chamber President Vera Bergkamp emphasized. Only twenty Dutchmen preceded van der Dirag. “It shows perseverance.”

De Goudse started a petition that had been signed more than 100,000 times by the end of March. Thousands more signatures added. Last June, Van der Draj heard that the issue had been put on the political agenda for good.

A victory for quality. Weeks of pain, blue breasts, crying spells and extreme pain after old mammograms: This is not necessary, and therefore should really change. And by at least giving women the choice of a pressure-informed mammogram or an alternative. In this initial examination, the force used to flatten the breasts is adjusted to the selected breast.

Nowadays, the standard examination is performed using force-dependent mammography. The breasts are compressed with great force between two plates in order to obtain a proportional thickness for a good x-ray. This often leads to pain. Van der Dirag: “I was angry, if this is so bad, why are we still doing this research in this way?”

During the discussion, GroenLinks MP Lisa Westerveld and VVD MP Judith Thelen made it clear that they support Van der Drag’s initiative. Especially for the group of women (27 percent) who do not attend the population screening. “If women drop out because of pain or because of trauma, for example because of past abuse, you still want to offer them the best possible alternative,” Westerveld asked the minister.

Kuipers agrees with VVD, D66, CDA, CU, GroenLinks, SP, PVV and BBB that “less stressful techniques” should be pursued. He is concerned that fewer women are showing up for population testing. Currently, he notes, mammography is the best method. An alternative can only be used if it is proven to be able to detect cancer as well or even better.

At the end of December, the Minister will provide further clarity on what alternative methods are currently being investigated and at what stage these investigations are at. “I understand that the minister cannot make promises so quickly,” Van der Drag said after the discussion. “I can imagine some of the petition signers feeling disappointed. “I have received many letters, including from women who have received a call to do the population screening and say: ‘I hope it will be decided that things can be done differently.’

The support for her initiative was also beneficial to her. “If alternative studies are not good enough, I understand very well that the Minister cannot expose women to them. Like I said, it looks as if we’ve missed a turn in our thirty years of working with “old” mammography. But it’s on the map, and I’m positively looking forward to the sequel. The House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on the proposals on Tuesday 12 September.