Here's why most women may not need yearly mammograms
| Apr 9, 2019, 13:53 IST
According to new guidelines from the American College of Physicians, women who have an average risk of developing breast cancer can start to get mammograms at 50.
While a lot of women are worried about developing the disease, the risk of these tumours is low for most women. Dense breast tissue, specific genetic mutations, family history of breast cancer are some contributing factors that are linked to breast malignancies.
The new guidelines were made after the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSFT) revealed that most women don't need mammograms before the age of 50 as many females are not at high risk of the disease. “For average-risk women, without symptoms, getting screening mammograms every year as compared to every other year did not clearly improve outcomes while it did increase harms,” Dr Ana María López, president of the American College of Physicians, told a news portal.
“Unfortunately, we are currently unable to tell the difference between breast cancers that are overdiagnosed versus the cancers that will be harmful to women, thus we recommend treatment for all,” said Dr Joann Elmore, author of an accompanying editorial and a professor at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California Los Angeles, told a news portal. Adding, "Breast cancer is more common as women age and some of the harms of screening, such as false positives, are less common in older women, thus making the benefits increase and the harms reduced as women age."
Dr Joann Elmore further explained: "Because of this, more national groups recommend starting screening in the 50s. When screening every year, the harms increase markedly, with less of an increase in the benefits, thus some groups now recommend screening every two years.”
The potential dangers outweigh the benefits of screening mammograms for women between the ages of 40 and 49. ACP recommends women should get mammograms until they are 74 once they start.
“This highlights the critical role informed and shared decision making plays, and the need to incorporate a woman’s values and preferences in the screening decision regarding when to start screening,” Dr Amir Qaseem, vice president of clinical policy for the ACP told a news portal regarding the new guidelines. Adding, "It is important for all women to talk to their doctor, starting at age 40, discuss benefits and harms, and share your individual values and preferences, and actively participate in the discussion and decision regarding when to start screening for breast cancer that would be best."
The guidelines were originally published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
While a lot of women are worried about developing the disease, the risk of these tumours is low for most women. Dense breast tissue, specific genetic mutations, family history of breast cancer are some contributing factors that are linked to breast malignancies.
The new guidelines were made after the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSFT) revealed that most women don't need mammograms before the age of 50 as many females are not at high risk of the disease. “For average-risk women, without symptoms, getting screening mammograms every year as compared to every other year did not clearly improve outcomes while it did increase harms,” Dr Ana María López, president of the American College of Physicians, told a news portal.
“Unfortunately, we are currently unable to tell the difference between breast cancers that are overdiagnosed versus the cancers that will be harmful to women, thus we recommend treatment for all,” said Dr Joann Elmore, author of an accompanying editorial and a professor at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California Los Angeles, told a news portal. Adding, "Breast cancer is more common as women age and some of the harms of screening, such as false positives, are less common in older women, thus making the benefits increase and the harms reduced as women age."
Dr Joann Elmore further explained: "Because of this, more national groups recommend starting screening in the 50s. When screening every year, the harms increase markedly, with less of an increase in the benefits, thus some groups now recommend screening every two years.”
The potential dangers outweigh the benefits of screening mammograms for women between the ages of 40 and 49. ACP recommends women should get mammograms until they are 74 once they start.
“This highlights the critical role informed and shared decision making plays, and the need to incorporate a woman’s values and preferences in the screening decision regarding when to start screening,” Dr Amir Qaseem, vice president of clinical policy for the ACP told a news portal regarding the new guidelines. Adding, "It is important for all women to talk to their doctor, starting at age 40, discuss benefits and harms, and share your individual values and preferences, and actively participate in the discussion and decision regarding when to start screening for breast cancer that would be best."
The guidelines were originally published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.