A panel of health experts in the U.S. has issued a change in the guidelines for mammogram tests (breast cancer screenings), reiterating that tests should ideally start at 50 years old, and should be followed by a routine check-up every two years.
The same panel said that tests done on women in their 40s, who ultimately do the process every year, gain fewer benefits, but panel members pointed out that the matter is largely still a personal choice.
In 2009, the Department of Health and Human Services, through its U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, recommended that mammogram tests must begin between the ages of 40 to 49 years old. This has become such a debatable topic for years due to confusions with insurance coverage and the possibility of over-diagnosis. Now, the agency is issuing the clarification, raising the age to 50 years old, along with a few other changes, as reported by Reuters.
In a nutshell, the clarified guidelines cover the following:
- Beginning 50 years old, women should get a mammography. This should be done every two years until the age of 74.
- More research is still being done to address whether or not women should continue getting screened at age 75.
- Between 40 to 49 years old, at least 40 percent of women have dense breast tissues, which makes it harder to check for cancer during tests. They also have higher risk of tumor development.
- In such cases, extra testing has been required, such as ultrasound exams and 3-D mammograms. The panel, however, is conducting more studies to determine if these tests are, indeed, helpful for a successful detection.
- The panel is also looking into 3-D mammograms as a viable method, as it may bring about over-diagnosis.
"If this becomes the final guideline, coverage of mammograms would no longer be mandated under the ACA," said Dr. Richard Wender of the American Cancer Society. "What this means is that millions of women may stand to lose their insurance soon."
The American Cancer Society, along with other groups like the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG), are set to review their guidelines as well in light of these recent changes.
The recommendation by the panel is currently open to public for their comments until May 18 at www.screeningforbreastcancer.org.
