New Breast Cancer Screening Recommendations

Recently there has been a great deal of media attention on the risks of getting a mammogram. A mammography works by using a low dosage of ionizing radiation to create images of the breast with the intention of catching breast cancer at its early stages. Though early detection has been shown to reduce mortality from breast cancer, the procedure is somewhat controversial because the tissue in the breast in women under 35 is especially sensitive to radiation.

Adding to this controversy is a recent study by the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) which asserts that, below the age of 50 years, the harms of clinical breast examinations outweigh the possible benefits gained from early detection. In their official statement, the USPSTF concludes that “current evidence is insufficient to assess the additional benefits and harms of clinical breast examination beyond screening mammography in women 40 years or older.”

This new study is in sharp contrast with many established organizations such as the American Cancer Society, which has recommended mammograms for those over 40 for over a decade. Other organizations, including the National Cancer Institute and the American Medical Association, also recommend mammograms for women between 40 and 50. Though the USPSTF’s assessment takes into account the possible benefits of the procedure, they reason that the psychological stress, the inconvenience false-positives, as well as the radiation exposure result in little net benefit from the examination. The media is calling this a “seismic shift” in women's health. Though such claims are more likely a grab for ratings than a legitimate scientific statement, controversies such as these give insight into how medical imaging is changing modern health care.

At what point do these preventative measures become more detrimental to our health? How are findings such as these going to effect the development of other imaging procedures that share the same risk? As we develop more advanced procedures that are designed to prevent disease rather than treat the symptoms, we must also keep in the mind the physical and psychological consequences of these technologies.