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Most women will agree that getting a mammogram is not one of the most enjoyable experiences, but the experts at the Medina Memorial Health Care System are urging women to get screened for breast cancer, because it just might save their lives.

With the recent release of a study by of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, which recommends that women do not need to get a mammogram until age 50, some women feel unsure about what precautions they should take when it comes to breast health.

In November 2009, the task force published guidelines on screening for breast cancer. These recommended that film mammography be performed once every two years on women who are 50 to 74 years old.

Working in a field where she sees how quickly a “questionable area” in a woman’s breast can change, Maynard said she was shocked when she heard the results of the study.

Even after the study was released, the American Cancer Society did not change its recommended guidelines, which state that women age 40 and older should have a mammogram every year and should continue to do so for as long as they are in good health.

The American College of Radiology also stands firm with its opinion that people should continue to follow ACS recommendations. It points out that the task force is made up of representatives from major health insurers, “but not a single radiologist, oncologist, breast surgeon, or any other clinician with demonstrated expertise in breast cancer diagnosis or treatment.”

The task force study supports its conclusions by stating that the harm of breast cancer screening includes inconvenience, psychological harm and additional medical visits due to false positive screening.

Maynard said the task force states it is emotionally distressing to go though the screenings when you are not considered to be at risk for cancer, and she asks the question: What’s worse — taking preventive measures to reduce the risk of getting cancer, or learning too late that you have it?

Only about 15 percent of diagnosed breast cancer patients have a family history, which means about 85 percent of diagnosed breast cancer patients did not, according to Maynard.

“The radiation exposure for a mammogram is basically natural background radiation,” Maynard said, meaning that it is comparable to the amount of radiation a person comes in contact with by being near a computer, a microwave, a cell phone or another piece of technology.

“With the digital mammography, it’s even lower than screen film mammography,” she said.

Medina Memorial went live with digital mammography in October 2008, and is now able to send a patient’s images directly to the radiologist, without having to process film. Digital mammograms have superior image quality and are able to detect significantly more cancers than film mammography in women with dense breasts, those under the age of 50, those who are pre-menopausal and peri-menopausal, Maynard explained.

Knutson sees many women coming in to learn about breast health, and said she was also shocked to learn the results of the task force study.

“A lot of patients are coming in and asking about the study,” she said. “I tell them to go by the American Cancer Society guidelines — nothing has changed.”

Knutson explained that “from registration to results” it takes a patient about one hour to complete a mammogram appointment. The actual screening, she said, takes about 15 minutes, on average.

The hospital has also opened up its availability to perform screenings on weekends and evenings. Those who are uninsured or underinsured can contact Community Partners at 798-6641 to find out if they are eligible for a free mammogram.

Source: Medina Memorial Health Care System

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