Mammogram Guidelines Are Unclear (ContributorNetwork)

FIRST PERSON | When should you get your first mammogram? The current guidelines from the American Cancer Society are that all women over 40 should get yearly mammograms. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) states women over 50 should get one every two years and women under 49 should not have routine screenings. The guidelines are contradictory and confusing. What is the right thing to do?

Dense breast tissue

Women with dense breast tissue have a harder time with mammography than other women. Several states are enacting legislation that would require radiologists to inform patients if their breast tissue is dense, and a couple of states require insurance companies to pay for additional testing.

Instead of relying on legislation, women should request a meeting with the radiologist at the time of the mammogram. All mammography is digital--the images are ready immediately. The radiologist should inform a woman at that meeting if she has dense breast tissue. If this is the case, an ultrasound or MRI can be ordered in order to get a better view of the breast tissue.

My story

I had my first mammogram at age 37 because I felt a lump in my left breast. It was determined that the lump was most likely a clogged duct. That seemed reasonable at the time because I was breastfeeding. Based on my low risk factors, I decided to wait until I turned 50 to have my next mammogram. This decision was based on the USPSTF recommendations.

I discovered a lump through self-examination at age 49. My doctor sent me for a mammogram, which found two areas of clustered micro-calcifications. A biopsy of the two areas resulted in a diagnosis of breast cancer. The cancer would have been caught sooner had I gone for yearly screenings starting at age 40, as recommended by the American Cancer Society. Had I followed the ACS guidelines, I might still have a left breast.

Family history

Women with a history of breast cancer in their families should consult with their doctors about assessing their risk for breast cancer. A strong history of cancer might indicate that genetic testing be performed. A woman and her physician should come up with a screening plan that might include MRI and ultrasound in addition to standard or diagnostic mammography.

The rest of us

Mammography saved my life. If I had waited until I turned 50 to have my first routine mammogram, my cancer story might be very different. Waiting another year before I had a screening might have made a difference between life and death.

Women need to weigh the risks from screening with the risk of not detecting cancer early. For some women, the risk is worth the wait. For others it could mean the difference between early detection and a diagnosis of advanced-stage cancer.

Lynda Altman is currently receiving treatment for a type of breast cancer called invasive ductal carcinoma. She writes a series for Yahoo! Shine called "My Battle with Breast Cancer", which follows her journey through treatment and recovery.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/cancer/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ac/20120207/hl_ac/10932499_mammogram_guidelines_are_unclear

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