Breast Cancer Screening – When, and How Often?

Mammograms

When the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force called for raising the age for regular mammograms from 40 to 50, and also recommended that older women cut back to one scheduled exam every other year, it raised a firestorm of debate – and confusion.

The task force said its non-binding recommendations would reduce the number of false-positives (which occur in about 10 percent of mammograms) and prevent many women from undergoing unnecessary surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation.

But cancer prevention groups, such as the American Cancer Society, denounced the recommendations, saying that routine screenings save thousands of lives by providing early detection of breast cancer.

The debate isn’t new. There has long been conflicting conclusions about the value of screening mammograms. So what should women do?

“Talk to your health care provider,” says NEA Health Information Network Director Jerry Newberry.  “A woman’s health care provider knows her family history, and her risk, and can help provide the best course of action for breast cancer prevention and screening.”

Breast Self Exam

The new guidelines also recommend that women not perform regular self-exams because they haven’t been proven to reduce the number of deaths from breast cancer.  They also found that there was insufficient evidence to recommend for or against clinical breast exams.

On the other hand, many breast cancer survivors say they found their tumors while performing a self exam.

Again, the best course of action is to discuss the benefits and risks of self and clinical breast exams with your doctor, who knows your personal history and risk factors.   

The chart below shows the screening recommendations for women at average risk of breast cancer from several major health organizations.