At the height of modern medicine, it is becoming more apparent that prevention is better than cure. And if not prevention, at least early detection. What's the big change in Breast Cancer? In 2003, ACS posted that clinical breast examination and mammograms should be done annually for women aged 40. However, the American Cancer Society has now released a modified recommendation when it comes to early breast cancer screening.
In an interview with USA Today, Liz Szabo from the ACS explained the big change. "The Cancer society says women should now get mammograms beginning at age 45." She continues to explain that previously the ACS advised women to start getting mammograms at age 40. The focus is now on the harm of screening. Mammograms do have the ability to detect early signs of breast cancer which can save lives.
This new recommendation reflects a different attitude because what women don't know is that mammograms also have risks: they can increase the risk of a false positive where women end up getting an unnecessary biopsy, they can also increase the risk of an over-diagnosis.
The New American Cancer Society 2015 Guideline recommends (as stated on the Journal of the American Medical Association website) the following for ''average-risk'' women:
- 40-44 year old women can begin annual mammography screening
- 45-54 year old women should undergo annual mammography screening
- 55 year old and older women can transition to screening every other year OR continue annual mammography screening
- Women should continue their mammography as long as overall health is good with a life expectancy of 10 years or longer
- Women at any age should not solely rely on breast examination for breast cancer screening.
All the recommendations apply to women at average risk, meaning those with no personal history of breast cancer, no genetic susceptibility to breast cancer, and no history of chest radiation treatment.
Nancy Keating, from Harvard Medical School showed results that out of 10,000 women with annual mammograms between 40 and 49, 190 were diagnosed with breast cancer and 30 died from it. Further results show that 36 women were unnecessarily treated for breast cancer from mammogram screening. Only 5 were saved from mammogram screening. The end result totaled 6,130 False Positives and 700 Unnecessary Biopsies.
What should women do then? Can early detection through mammogram screening really save women's lives? There are multiple medical groups with different recommendations and everyone can get easily confused but when we want to consider a woman's life hanging in the balance, it is best to seek help with a medical professional on what is proper for the woman and the woman's health.
This basically means that ACS is trying to change the view and recommendation about mammograms, where in the old days, doctors would tell patients that it's between life and death if you don't get a screening. ACS now is recommending that the benefits of having to go through the procedure and early detection should not outweigh the risks the procedure can bring about to the patient's health as well.
