For women, there's neverbrreally been a clear answer: Do I start mammography screenings at age 40, 45 orbr50? New research confirms that early detection is the healthiest choice, and age 40 is when to begin screenings.
The American CancerbrSociety released its 2015-2016 Breast Cancer Facts & Figures, estimatingbrthat last year, 231,840 women were diagnosed with invasive breast cancer and of thosebrwomen, 46,350 (20 percent) were diagnosed under the age of 50. The AmericanbrCancer Society cites in its 2015-2016 Breast Cancer Facts & Figures report,br“Mammography is the single most effective method of early detection since itbrcan often identify cancer several years before physical symptoms develop.”
The American CancerbrSociety also states that the decrease in breast cancer-related deaths over thebrpast two decades is almost entirely attributed to mammography detection. Yetbrnew and conflicting recommendations have been released, confusing women on whenbrto start mammography screenings, whether to go annually or every other year, andbreven whether or not to conduct self-breast examinations.
For nearly 25 years,brwomen have been told to begin regular annual mammograms at the age of 40, and abrhost of other notable organizations including the American Congress ofbrObstetricians and Gynecologists, the American College of Radiology and the Societybrfor Breast Imaging concur that a woman should begin her annual screening at age 40.
Study after study showsbrthat the earlier a woman finds an issue, the better her options and outcomes.brAccording to the American Cancer Society, the five-year survival rate is 100brpercent for women diagnosed with stage 0 and 1 breast cancer.
“Early detection can andbrdoes help women under 50 every day. Research shows that women diagnosed withbrbreast cancer between 40-50 years of age typically have more aggressive ratesbrof tumor growth. For these reasons, it's critical that younger women adherebrstrictly to the annual screening interval. Simply put, mammography is thebrclosest thing we have to a cure. We've come so far in early detectionbrbreakthroughs that I see these guidelines as a major setback,” said JamesbrPolfreman, president and CEO for Solis Mammography, a comprehensivebrbreast-imaging center.
Solis Mammography patient, breast cancer survivor, wife and mother of four children, LarissabrLinton, believes early detection saved her life. She was 45 when doctors foundbrstage 0 cancer. “It’s ridiculous that several groups have recommended thatbrwomen put off mammograms. Imagine if my cancer had kept growing undetectedbruntil I was 50? I might not still be here. I can certainly tell you it wouldbrnot be stage 0. We need to support women and send a consistent message that 40 isbrthe age to start screenings.”
Because of intensebrpressure on everyone in the healthcare community to save money, the future isbrcertain to bring new and conflicting opinions about breast screening. Womenbrneed to remember that the earlier they find any particular anomaly (not justbrbreast cancer), the better and easier their options for treatment. Earlybrdetection has long-term benefits including shorter treatment times; thebrpotential to avoid a mastectomy, chemotherapy or radiation; and overallbrimproved quality of life. In short, women should be empowered with thebrknowledge to make the best choices for themselves based on their unique healthbrhistory and primary care physician's recommendations. Peace of mind, overallbrwellness and long life all come from early detection.
Check out this infographic for more information on mammograms.