by
Kathy Mahdoubi, Senior Correspondent | December 10, 2009
Response to recent U.S. Preventative Services Task Force recommendations
There has been significant outrage from the medical community following the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force recommending changes to the initial age when routine mammography screening should occur. The new recommendations would have women begin routine screening a decade later, at age 50 rather than 40, and would have them undergoing mammography every two years instead of annually. The Task Force also called into question the benefit of self-examination.
Dr. Lehman commented that self-examination and ultrasound was important in finding breast abnormalities and in determining malignancy for women under 40. She doesn't think the new recommendations will be adopted, in part due to the Task Force's findings, which Dr. Lehman said were based on data that lacked a full range of scientific perspective.
She and her colleagues recommend and continue to follow the American Cancer Society and American College of Radiology guidelines already in place, remarking that they are based on years of clinical evidence and medical experience.
Lindsay Grystar contributed to this report.Back to HCB News
