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PDF versionSALT LAKE CITY -- For years health experts have advised women to get annual mammograms starting at age 40, but according to new guidelines released by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, there's no need to rush.
The task force now recommends women start getting annual mammograms at age 50 and then every other year, but before you cancel your next appointment, you should know that not everyone agrees.
Dr. Catherine Babcook, director of breast imaging at McKay-Dee Hospital's breast imaging center of excellence, said the new guidelines are causing tremendous confusion for women.
"No new scientific data was reviewed by the task force and their conclusions seem to be based more on their concern for the anxiety women experience during the screening process than the fact that screening mammography has a proven benefit in decreasing death from breast cancer," Babcook said. "Of all breast cancers found on screening mammography within the Intermountain Healthcare system, 35 percent are found in women age 40 to 49, the age group the task force said should not be screened."
Babcook said 45 to 50 percent of breast cancers found through screening mammograms in this age group are in early, curable stages.
She's not alone. She said the hospital, in conjunction with the American Cancer Society, the American College of Radiology, the Susan G. Komen Foundation and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services continue to recommend annual screening mammography for all women beginning at age 40.
Because the new recommendations have caused much debate, the Utah Department of Health will convene a panel of experts in the community to discuss the report based on Utah-specific data. The panel will include a broad spectrum of professionals, including breast cancer surgeons, radiologists and epidemiologists from the UDOH cancer program's medical advisory board, the Utah Cancer Action Network, the Utah Cancer Registry and other medical and insurance organizations.
"It is such a controversial issue," said UDOH health program specialist Whitney Johnson. "We've got some pretty prominent experts coming out on both sides. We put this panel together because we don't want to be hasty or flippant in our recommendations."
The panel will meet in early January to discuss the issue and come up with its own recommendations for Utah women. In the meantime, Johnson said, women should continue getting their scheduled mammograms.
"Everyone is in agreement that mammograms save lives," Johnson said. "Nobody is arguing that. The issue is when is the best time to get those mammograms and we are going to look closely at what the experts tell us and get some good, sound feedback."
Andrea Vandehei, senior mammography technologist at Ogden Regional Medical Center, said she wants the general public to understand that even though she has questions and deep concerns with the report, this is how science and medicine work.
"Professionals in our field are constantly exploring and reviewing all processes to improve," she said. "It's a back and forth method and a natural evolution of medicine to challenge standards. New tests and techniques are developed every year, new information is discovered and in return it is tested again, too."
Vandehei said the important fact to remember is that all women should have access to the latest information and more importantly, discuss their health one-on-one with a physician they trust.
"I don't agree that these tests cause more harm than good, based upon my own experience," she said. "The harm listed, like some patients experiencing discomfort for example, is part of a preventive process that saves lives. I'm an advocate of early screening based upon personal experience. I have seen seven patients in the last five weeks between the ages of 43 and 48 who have had invasive carcinomas revealed through testing."
