Are more women getting cancer—or is it thanks to a major shift in the medical community?
Key Takeaways
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“Global health data also suggests that half of all women diagnosed with gynecologic cancer, for example, had not attended a screening program or [known] the signs or symptoms of gynecologic cancers.”–Sharyn Lewin, MD, FACS, FACOG, Director of the Division of Gynecologic Oncology at Holy Name Medical Center
“Gender bias in medicine still exists, and women’s health issues can still be overlooked. While meaningful change has taken place, we still have room to grow.” –Esha Sachdev, MD, a breast medical oncologist at MemorialCare Todd Cancer Institute at Long Beach Medical Center in Long Beach, CA
The pain levels and health concerns of women and girls are, according to Cedars-Sinai, dismissed far too often by doctors and researchers,” leading to misdiagnosis, underdiagnosis, and inappropriate treatments.[] Put simply, the gender bias in healthcare is real and dangerous. For example, research published in Breast found that in younger women, cancer care is often delayed or missed.[] “Young women affected by breast cancer often say they did not receive enough attention when they ‘first reported the first signs to their doctors,’” the authors wrote.
Related: Brooke Shields had a seizure, MDs said some odd things nextOther research has found that women who’d undergone breast cancer treatment are often made to feel like they should just “live with” the pain they experience.[] Despite these alarming trends, cancer in women is being diagnosed more frequently.[] So does this mean MDs are taking women’s complaints seriously?
What doctors say is behind the increase
Tomorrow my wife goes in for her last surgery from stage III breast cancer.
— Raleigh Williams (Exit Value Maximalist) (@theraleighwill) May 2, 2023
It’s been 14 months since her original diagnosis, and the light is finally shining through the clouds.
Three separate doctors told us to not worry about the original lump.
She was too young and… pic.twitter.com/AwbuXYH0Dr
Esha Sachdev, MD, a breast medical oncologist at MemorialCare Todd Cancer Institute at Long Beach Medical Center in Long Beach, CA, says that more women are being diagnosed with breast cancer. “This increase is partly due to an actual rise in the incidence of breast cancer, in addition to improved screening techniques and increased public awareness,” she says.
“Breast cancer is the most common cancer found in women in the United States, accounting for approximately 30% of all new female cancer diagnoses. The incidence has been rising [by] about 1% annually since 2010, with an incidence of approximately 310,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer in 2024,” she adds.
More women are getting screened, Dr. Sachdev says, due to improved access to and education about screening, extensive public health campaigns, and better screening methods.
What role are MDs playing?
But what role are MDs playing? “I would like to believe that more MDs are taking women’s concerns more seriously. There has been a shift in the way medicine is practiced to that of a more patient-centered model,” Dr. Sachdev says. “This model encourages shared decision-making between physicians and patients, which fosters better communication and allows women’s voices to be more actively heard.”
Sharyn Lewin, MD, FACS, FACOG, Director of the Division of Gynecologic Oncology at Holy Name Medical Center, offers another point of view: A lot of women are still more likely to prioritize many other things over their own health issues. “Global health data also suggests that half of all women diagnosed with gynecologic cancer, for example, had not attended a screening program or [known] the signs or symptoms of gynecologic cancers,” she says. That said, she believes that healthcare providers are taking women more seriously.
“Gender bias in medicine still exists, and women’s health issues can still be overlooked. While meaningful change has taken place, we still have room to grow,” Dr. Sachdev says.