Confusion Over Regular Mammogram Screenings
The American Cancer Society is firm at recommending regular mammography screening to women at age 40. This is in connection to the significant gains the country was able to witness in reducing breast cancer deaths for the past 19-20. To prevent 1 breast cancer death, 1,904 women ages 40-49 need to be screened, 1,339 for ages 50-59, and 377 for those at the ages 600-69. Moreover, the U.S. Services Task force is seeing a significant number of unnecessary biopsies, which means unnecessary costs, because of more false positives.
Dr. Susan Love of Research Foundation emphasized that it doesn’t make sense to be putting efforts in doing mammography screening women under 50, when possibly better tools to help women and be more accurate can be found. The new guidelines also say that women 50-74 only need to be screened every two years. This move doesn’t clearly tell whether it will impact insurance reimbursements which presently cost on average of $125. The American Cancer Society argues that any life saved by mammography is worth the expense.
Balancing the risks of low grade radiation and invasive biopsies is necessary at this point, said Dr. Jennifer Aston of CBS News. Women at high level risk, especially those with strong family history, should sit with their doctor and find out which screening tests is best for them. The statistics behind this new guideline are clear, however, for physicians as they wear their nursing scrubs and having in their hands the possibility of any of their patients to die from breast cancer makes it hard for them not to recommend regular mammogram tests. The opposite point of view of authorities will really cause confusion.
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