Uproar Over New Guidelines for Mammograms
After being told the opposite for decades, this week women were told less mammograms are better and breast self exams are useless. But not everyone agrees and some breast cancer survivors are lashing out at the new recommendations.
The new guidelines come from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, an independent group of experts convened by the Department of Health and Human Services. The task force reviewed evidence it considers solid and found that:
- Most women between 50 and 75 (except those with a family history of breast cancer or other risk factors) need mammograms only every two years.
- There is no evidence that breast self-exams lead to fewer deaths.
Prior to this, women were encouraged to have yearly breast exams beginning at age 40, and self-exams were touted as a simple, low-tech way to check for breast cancer.
The news has caused a firestorm with doctors and patients alike expressing outrage that a government panel would dare adjust the mammogram guidelines. Many have expressed concern that the new recommendations will cause insurance companies to change coverage of mammograms.
The White House went on defense, saying the guidelines are merely a recommendation and that the agency that produced the report has "no power" to deny health care coverage.
But while the task force doesn't dictate coverage, critics say findings from the group could influence federal policy as Congress considers plans to overhaul the health care system.
The stats
Except for skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common cancer among American women.
In 2005 (the most recent year numbers are available):
- 186,467 women and 1,764 men were diagnosed with breast cancer.
- 41,116 women and 375 men died from breast cancer.
Medical professionals are speaking out, saying the choice should be up to women, and it seems Kathleen Sebelius, HHS Secretary, agrees. In a statement, she said, "My message to women is simple. Mammograms have always been an important life-saving tool in the fight against breast cancer and they still are today. Keep doing what you have been doing for years - talk to your doctor about your individual history, ask questions, and make the decision that is right for you."
