Thoughts on the FDA approved HALO Breast Pap Test

Here is yet another mention of the Breast Pap Test. This one written by Kristina Collins for the Cancer Blog was posted on May 12th 2007.

The post, titled; Breast Pap Test to detect abnormal cells, talks about an FDA approved test called the Halo Breast Pap Test System.

Bringing up a very good speculation, the Blog asks you to think about this:

" The introduction of the HALO Breast Pap Test has been compared to the introduction of the Cervical Pap Test in the 1950s, which is widely credited with reducing cervical cancer death rates by more than 70 percent through the identification of abnormal cells in the cervix. Whether the same can be said for the breast pap test remains to be seen, but it is likely that the screen will be adopted by more OB-GYNs as oncologists push for ever earlier identification of cancer."

I am adding to that request for thought with this:

Why is it that an FDA approved test that could have such a huge life-saving impact on young women still under such wraps? Why is it that the test is not spoken of, or offered to patients? What is it going to take to bring the test into the medical offices and into the public eye? And how many women are going to have to suffer through breast cancer because they were denied the availability of early stage screening and diagnosing tests such as the HALO Breast Pap Test?