New Guidelines Open Debate Regarding Mammograms
By Better Health Research Team • Feb 11th, 2010 • Category: Health E-Hint
New guidelines issued by a government task force late last year caused a huge uproar from doctors, patients and the American Cancer Society (ACS). The panel, made up of physicians and scientists, suggested women should wait until age 50 to get mammograms and then have one every two years. This is different than the long-standing ACS recommendation for women to get the breast exam starting at age 40.
Published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, the government panel states:
- Most women in their 40s should not routinely get mammograms.
- Women 50 to 74 should get a mammogram every other year until they turn 75, after which risks and benefits are unknown.
- The value of breast cancer exams by doctors is unknown, and breast self-exams are of no value.
According to reports by CBS News, breast cancer is the most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer deaths in American women. About 192,000 new cases are discovered each year and statistics indicate 40,000 breast cancer deaths occurred in 2009 alone.
Loading ...