The mammogram debate stirs anew

Posted at 11:11 AM on November 29, 2011 by Bob Collins (6 Comments)
Filed under: Health

Two years ago this month, a government working group issued new guidelines for women: Get a regular mammogram starting at age 50. It also said mammograms for women in their 40s do not outweigh the risks involved, specifically unnecessarily biopsies.

Today in Chicago, researchers will present their study which says women in their 40s should be getting annual mammograms. That should clear things up.

The findings suggest annual mammograms are beneficial for all women in their 40s, said study researcher Dr. Stamatia Destounis, a radiologist at Elizabeth Wende Breast Care, LLC, in Rochester, N.Y.

"We're identifying a considerable number of breast cancers in that age group," said study researcher Dr. Stamatia Destounis, a radiologist at Elizabeth Wende Breast Care in Rochester, N.Y.

"To do screening early is always better than not," another researcher told LiveScience.com, although she acknowledges there's no evidence that mammograms prolong women's lives.

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Comments (6)

Get a mamogram
that we cannot afford
so that we can live longer
in a world we cannot afford to live in.

huh.

Posted by Olivia | November 29, 2011 11:28 AM

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"To do screening early is always better than not"

Then why not 30, or 20, or 10?

Posted by brian | November 29, 2011 11:41 AM

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I applaud the USPSTF's daring to question the "do everything, NOW!" attitude that has come to characterize U.S. healthcare delivery (for those who can afford it anyway).

To put it baldly, oncologists will continue to recommend more screening and more drugs, because that is what drives profit.

What I find interesting with regards to U.S. guidelines in general is that there is very little mention of cost-benefit: everyone seems to try to avoid it like the plague lest they be branded "socialist" and so there is a lot of sentimental baggage when it comes to healthcare discussions. I'd think cost-benefit (how to get the most out of every dollar you have) is a reasonable topic if healthcare dollars (whether federal or individual) don't come from a bottomless pot.

There was plenty of leeway in the USPSTF mammography recommendations (including "women should discuss with their physicians whether mammography would be of benefit to them").

The fact is, despite these recommendations (and the equally controversial PSA screening ones), those who have access to/can afford screening/treatment will continue to get them, and those who don't have access will not get detected till it's "too late".

Posted by PpFt | November 29, 2011 12:12 PM

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Aren't mammograms an extremely painful experience? How does that figure into this?

Posted by Tyler | November 29, 2011 1:39 PM

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So, clearly the researchers had bias going in. Never a good thing.

Posted by vjacobsen | November 29, 2011 1:40 PM

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"Aren't mammograms an extremely painful experience? How does that figure into this?

Posted by Tyler | November 29, 2011 1:39 PM "

They smash your breasts between two plates and take an x-ray of them. This can cause internal bruising and bleeding coupled with the x-ray can create a cancer. Great technique.

Posted by Olivia | November 29, 2011 4:47 PM

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