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New Mammogram Guidelines Cause Controversy

November 16, 2009 by Debbie Dragon

The United States Preventive Service Task Force recently released new recommendations for women in regards to when they should start getting mammograms. The task force’s recommendations say that women should start breast cancer mammogram screenings at age 50. Women should then biannually receive mammograms through age 74. After age 75 they recommend for women to discontinue mammogram screening. The task force also advised that Doctors should not recommend or teach patients how to do self breast examinations.

Since the recommendations, there has been an outpour of criticism from the medical community, the American Cancer Association and women. The American Cancer Association as well as Doctors and major medical facilities throughout the country say they will continue to follow previous recommendations which start at risk screening at age 35 and healthy women at age 40. They will also continue to recommend self breast examination. Unlike the new guidelines, mammograms are performed every year after the first screening and not every other.

Critics argue that many women who are screened between the ages of 40-49 and are diagnosed with breast cancer are able to start treatment early. This allows them to have a longer list of viable treatment options and a better chance for a favorable outcome. Many women who have been treated for breast cancer in their forties say that that early mammogram screening and/or self breast examination very well could have been responsible for saving their lives.

On the flip side, the task force panel and its supporters back up their recommendations saying that the risk of mammograms in the 40’s outweighs the benefits. In looking at scientific data the task force concluded that starting mammograms early leads to false positives, unnecessary biopsies and undue stress. Self Breast examinations also lead to twice as many unnecessary biopsies. People in favor of the new guidelines also point out that the mammogram itself puts women at radiation risk and could in fact increase their chances of getting breast cancer.

When looking at other countries around the world, these new breast cancer screening recommendations are actually right in line. The World Health Organization recommends screening after age 50 as do other modernized countries including the UK and Canada.

The 16 member task force comments that they are not out to change policies. Currently mammograms are covered by insurance companies and Medicare for women age 40 and over. The task force claims their recommendations are to be used as guidelines and as a means of open discussion between women and their physicians. Each women should then decide, with the help of their doctor, when they should individually start receiving mammograms and how often.

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