New Mammogram Guidelines Increase Confusion for Patients

January 22, 2014 | Crandall & Pera Law
New Mammogram Guidelines Increase Confusion for Patients

A mammogram is the most basic test to screen for breast cancer, but differing guidelines in the medical community over when to begin testing has led to widespread confusion among patients, according to an ABC News article. 

The United States Preventive Task Force recommends that women get mammograms starting at age 50, while the American Cancer Society advocates for screening to begin at age 40.

A new study contends that women have a baseline screening even earlier than the official guidelines, at age 35, because of the number of young women who develop the disease in their 20s and 30s.

Besides the discomfort associated with the test, there is a relatively small radiation exposure. False positives during testing can subject patients to biopsies that they otherwise would not have to have.

"You have to look at the big picture," said Dr. V. Merle McIntosh, chief of breast surgery at Englewood Hospital. "Do the benefits outweigh the risks of doing these tests? And for mammography, I would say a resounding yes. The benefits far outweigh those risks." Read the full article here:

Should You Get a Mammogram?

Every woman over the age of 30 should read this article or watch the video.

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