The American Cancer Society recently came out with new guidelines that outline how frequently women should receive mammograms. The new recommendations may sound a bit confusing to those who are used to receiving annual mammograms when they reach the age of 40. WBFO's Cheryl Hagen spoke to an expert from Roswell Park Cancer Institute for more insight on the new guidelines...
The Cancer Society's new guidelines are complicated according to Dr. Ermelinda Bonaccio, a radiologist and Director of the Center for Mammography at Roswell Park Cancer Institute.
Bonaccio notes the new recommendations are broke into tiers, one involving a strong recommendation that women at average risk of breast cancer now begin receiving annual mammograms at age 45. She notes there are also several qualifying recommendations that include giving women the option to receive annual mammograms when they reach 40. At 55-years-old, She adds the Cancer Society recommends a mammogram every two years, but again says women should be given the option to have the procedure done yearly.
Bonaccio says the Cancer Society is weighing the benefits of having a mammogram versus the potential harm involved, say in the incidence of being recalled for additional images or a biopsy due to a false positive.
"They're trying to find that sweet spot between the benefits which is a reduction in mortality and the risk of a false positive," says Bonaccio. "I don't completely agree with their assessment of the harms, being the false positive. I think that many women do not see having an additional imaging after their mammogram as that significant of harm. I do agree with the fact that they overall still support mammography in women in their 40s. I do appreciate that they're trying to engage patients in more informed decision making. My assessment of the risks versus the benefits is that I still strongly believe that women should begin annual screening mammography at age 40. I think that benefit of mortality outweighs the risk of a false positive."
Bonaccio adds she is concerned women may decide they do not need annual screenings, reversing strides made over the last 20 years in breast cancer awareness.