For years, women have been told they need to start getting a mammogram yearly beginning at the age of 40. But Monday, the United States Preventative Task Force released new guidelines. They say women should get mammograms every two years and not start until they are 50 years old. They also say teaching women how to do self breast exams doesn’t work. This study is alarming to the American Cancer Society. “We looked at the same evidence, we have even more data than what they looked at and we are conducting research right now that is going to prove that as of right now, mammography is the best thing we have and we need to detect cancers earlier,” says Lisa Smith the Regional Vice President of the American Cancer Society.
Smith says the American Cancer Society and the task force both work together, but their findings are not going to change how they have educated people for years. “The American Cancer Society is standing very strong that mammography is still a very strong, very viable and necessary option for women starting at the age of 40.”
In the findings from the task force, they say beginning mammograms at such an early age leads to false findings and even unneeded biopsies. The American Cancer Society has statistics to prove that wrong. According to Smith, 17% of all breast cancer deaths happen between the ages of 40-49. That breaks down to about 7,000 women a year. “So how can you tell women not to get scanned,” says Smith.
Even though these two agencies work together, Smith says the American Cancer Society does not agree with their new findings. “We are going to continue to fight strongly that women need to be screened between the ages of 40-72 and have their clinical breast exams and mammography annually.”
