M. D. Anderson Cancer Center: Mammograms should start at 40
Wednesday, November 18, 2009 at 11:16
Updated on Wednesday, November 18, 2009 at 12:40 by
mavenandmeddler
Like a lot of women out there, I was really confused by the headlines about delaying regular mammograms until age 50, and I was somewhat appalled by the suggestion as well. I’d have addressed this sooner, but I’ve been out of town and didn’t have access to my blog.
Had I waited until age 50, I might not be sitting here telling you about it. I was diagnosed at age 49, and according to the experts at the nation’s top cancer research institute and hospital, my cancer had been there at least two years, if not longer. What am I supposed to think about starting mammograms at age 50, and then getting them only every other year?
Call me a cynic, but I think this is somehow being driven by healthcare cost containment and the insurance industry.
Let’s think this through on another level: if there are so many false positives and unnecessary biopsies, let’s take a good look at why there are so many false positives and poorly done biopsies. In other words, don’t kill the messenger!
I’ve seen this happen time after time here in Reno. A substandard mammogram, that led to excisional biopsies that led to unnecessary mastectomies that led to overall poor outcomes. Why aren’t we taking a good hard look at the whole picture here?
At M. D. Anderson, the mammograms (equipment and the well trained technicians and radiologists) are far and away superior, and then any suspicions are followed up with other techniques such as ultrasound and other imaging to confirm those suspicions. They are adept with ultrasound guided Fine Needle Aspiration type biopsies that are quick, minimally invasive and provide excellent characterization of the real existance (or not) of cancer and it’s extent. This is standard of care. This same standard of care doesn’t exist far too many areas of the country.
Is anybody asking why? No.
To simply declare that mammogram screening is unnecessary until age 50 and then only occasionally is a deceptive and potentially deadly way of addressing the wrong problem. This pisses me off.
Here’s what I was waiting to see, however, M. D. Anderson’s official position on mammography screening:
