New Breast Cancer Screening Guidelines Spark Controversy

New mammogram recommendations by a government agency suggest doctors change the way they screen women for breast cancer.And the advice is sparking controversy.Fox's Julie Banderas has moreThe government is at odds with cancer groups over breast cancer screeningThe U.S. Preventative services task force says women in their forties ''do not'' need a yearly mammogram...They say the benefits of starting screening at age forty were smaller, and accompanied by significant harms to women.Anne Mandelblatt says, "By harms I mean there were women that would undergo false positive exams, unnecessary biopsies and even be treated for cancers that would never have harmed them."The task force made up of doctors and scientists says women in their forties only need to be tested every two years... And doctors should stop teaching women to do self-exams altogether.Cynara Coomer, M.D. says, "I think many of us are very concerned that this is a money saving issue, that the motivation behind this is at savings costs, as opposed to saving lives."The task force decision goes against the opinions of many doctors, some advocacy groups and the American cancer society that believes the benefits outweigh the harms.Dr Len Lichtenfeld says, ''We continue to recommend if your at average risk of breast cancer, start at age 40, get a mammogram every year."Breast cancer survivors who were diagnosed at a young age are among the more vocal critics of the new guidelines.And the task force says this is just a recommendation, and that women should consult their own doctors about personal screening.Breast cancer is the most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer deaths in American women.More than 192-thousand new cases and 40-thousand deaths from the disease are expected in the u.s. this year.In New York, Julie Banderas, Fox News.



 


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