Mammogram
On November 22, 2009, Dr. Bernadine Healy, the former director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), advised women to ignore the new guidelines proposed by the U.S. Preventive Task Force. Dr. Healy released her statement less than a week after the U.S. Preventive Task Force proclaimed that mammograms are unnecessary for women in their 40s who have average cancer risk and women between 50 and 74 years of age should have a mammogram every two years. The guidelines also recommend that physicians cease teaching women self-breast examination because of a lack of evidence that is has any benefit. Dr. Healy said that the directive would save money but not lives. She added that if the new guidelines are followed, more women will die of breast cancer. Supporting Dr. Healy’s viewpoint are the American Cancer Society, the American Medical Association, and the National Comprehensive Cancer Network; these groups all recommend annual mammograms for women aged 40 or older.
According to the Task Force, the guidelines were based on weighing the benefits of screening to the harm of false-positives (i.e., unnecessary anxiety, additional tests, and biopsies). According to the American College of Radiology, approximately $3.3 billion has been spent over the past 12 months for mammograms in the U.S. The guidelines only apply to: (1) women without a family history of breast cancer; and (2) women who do not have a genetic mutation associated with breast cancer (i.e., BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes).
See also:
New federal mammogram guidelines spark controversy
Less frequent pap tests recommended
Better communication regarding mammograms stressed by Harvard study
Mammography and healthcare reform
Breast tenderness linked to increased cancer risk
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