Controversy Over New Mammogram Guidelines
By: Stephanie Berzinski
Updated: November 17, 2009
New government guidelines to detect breast cancer caused some controversy. The U.S. Preventive Service task force now recommends women under age 50 stop getting routine mammograms and instead get the test every two years, starting at 50. The panel is made up of independent medical experts and who believe the benefits of testing do not outweigh the risks involved with a mammogram. We asked staff members at University Medical Center who told us the new guidelines make no sense. They said more than 30% of their breast cancer patients last year were under age 50.
"I don't know if anyone's gonna follow the new guidlines. Most of the institutions I've read about say they're not going to follow it. In fact, they're angry. I would like to stick with the current guideline. I think it's done well. We've found a lot of cancers, " said Dr. Quattromani, Chief of Radiology at UMC.
An American Cancer Society report estimates that 20,000 women under the age of 40 will be diagnosed with cancer this year.
