Assignment PracticumJournal Entry

Practicum – Journal Entry: Screenings for Women
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Practicum – Journal Entry: Screenings for Women
The primary role of gynecologists is to screen and treat diseases that are specific to women, especially those relating to the reproductive system. There is a variety of screening methods that can be used to detect the presence of some diseases such as cancer. The effectiveness of such screening methods may vary depending on the age and patient conditions. This journal examines the differences in screenings for older and younger women and the impacts of such differences.
To start with, there are differences in the effectiveness of mammography in different age groups of women. The efficacy of mammography is higher in older women aged between 40 to 49 years than in younger women. Such is because the breast tissue in younger women aged bellow forty years tends to be extremely dense (Lowry, 2018). In a research conducted by Dr. Constance Lehman and his colleagues to compare the efficiency mammography versus ultrasound in women aged 30-39, it was found that ultrasound detected 95.7 percent of all the cancer cases while mammography only detected 60.9 percent (Lowry, 2018). This research implies that ultrasound is more effective in detecting cancer presence in younger women and is, therefore, more suitable than mammography.
Also, because of the denseness of older women’s breast tissues, the American Cancer Society recommends that self-examination (BSE) is a better screening method for females below 40 years of age.

In this method, women should understand the nature of their breasts and be able to detect any change (Cleveland Clinic, 2015). BSE yearly clinical exams are suitable for all women from the age of 20 years. Only women with other risk factors or family breast cancer histories should use mammograms when they are below forty years.
Pap testing (Cytology-based screening) is also screening technique used to detect abnormal cancerous cells in the cervix. Going by the recommendations of National Cancer Institute (2014), women aged between 30- 65 can receive Pap screening alone after three years, while women aged between 21 and 29 years should be screened after every five years. However, adolescents should not be screened because they have a very low risk of cervical cancer and their cervical cell abnormalities are likely to clear on their own without treatment. This difference implies that during the young age, the cost of having Pap screening will tend to be expensive, compared to the benefits, as most cancerous cell abnormalities will likely to clear away on their own.
In a nutshell, age differences is a primary consideration when determining the method of screening different conditions like breast and cervical cancer. Mammography is more effective in older than younger women. Besides, Pap testing is not recommended for adolescent as their cancerous abnormalities may clear away on their own. Therefore, gynecologists should consider such conditions when performing different screenings on their patients.

References
Cleveland Clinic. (2015). Breast Cancer in Young Women. Cleveland Clinic. Retrieved on September 9, 2018, from https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/16805-breast-cancer-in-young-women
Lowry, S. (2018, December 16). Science Spotlight: Breast imaging in symptomatic younger women: ultrasound vs. mammogram? Fred Hutch: Cures Start Here Retrieved on September 9, 2018, from https://www.fredhutch.org/en/news/spotlight/imports/breast-imaging-in-symptomatic-younger-women–ultrasound-vs–mamm.html
National Cancer Institute. (2014). Pap and HPV Testing. National Cancer Institute. Retrieved on September 9, 2018, from https://www.cancer.gov/types/cervical/pap-hpv-testing-fact-sheet#q4