USPTF Says Mammogram Guidelines Are Misunderstood

Last week we wrote about the controversial new guidelines from the United States Preventive Task Force about mammogram screening for women in their 40s. The guidelines state that women in their 40s should choose for themselves and not be recommended to get an annual mammogram.

They only recommend women starting at the age of 50 begin screening. 

Their defense in regards to the guidelines is:

"Women in their 40s can get mammograms every year if they want to, but it really needs to be up to a woman to decide if she wants to risk the anxiety of getting a false positive result," —one showing a breast lump that turns out not to be cancer.

So the recommendations remain the same — women over 50 should get a mammogram every other year. Women 40 to 49 should decide what they want, based on their health history, and it's not clear if women over 75 should bother with mammograms.

Their report claims studies that have examined women getting mammograms in their 40s shows some may not benefit.

"The most common harm is a false-positive test result, which often leads to additional tests and procedures," members also said.

A Word on False Positives

A false positive mammogram is where something found on the x-ray turns out not to be cancer. The radiologist who read the mammogram saw a suspicious change in the breast but further tests found no cancer. These tests can include more mammograms, an ultrasound scan, a fine needle aspiration (FNAC) or a core biopsy. 

Of course, false positives aren't completely unavoidable when it comes to screening but its not a valid enough reason to eliminate screening and mammograms from your annual health test regimen altogether. Breast cancer is a leading killer of U.S. women. Every year, it's diagnosed in 200,000 women and a few men, and kills around 40,000.

Several studies have suggested that routine mammograms don't necessarily save woman's lives even if they detect breast cancer. That is not a strong enough reason to recommend women in their 40s to avoid mammograms. Women have been vigilant about their health and screenings for years and this recommendation may regress the progress that has been made, that still needs a lot of work on the male side.

And at least one study has showed that many women suffer a lot of anxiety after they get called for a follow-up mammogram when a radiologist has spotted something suspicious.

CATCHING CANCER EARLY CAN SAVE COSTLY PROCEDURES DOWN THE ROAD

Many doctors still recommend yearly screening in women at age 40. The American Cancer Society continues to recommend yearly mammograms in women age 40.

Even though we know early intervention is key to beating this disease, these guidelines will cause women to not be as proactive when considering their breast cancer prevention options and screening.