Controversy about the value of mammograms for women in their 40’s

The group representing internists in the U.S. has come up with new guidelines for when mammagrams are appropriate.

Benefits of Mammograms For Women in 40s Challenged – washingtonpost.com

Reopening a long-running debate, the American College of Physicians, which represents 120,000 internists, issued new guidelines today that instead urge women in their 40s to consult with their doctors about whether to have the breast X-rays.

The group based its recommendations on a comprehensive review of mammography research that concluded that the benefits are less clear for women in their 40s than for those 50 and older, and that screening carries significant risks, including exposure to radiation and unnecessary biopsies, surgery and chemotherapy.

The guidelines conflict with long-standing recommendations from several other leading medical groups, including the American Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute.

"We agree that mammography can save lives," said Douglas K. Owens of Stanford University, who chaired the committee that wrote the guidelines, being published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. "But there are also potential harms. We don’t think the evidence supports a blanket recommendation."

The new guidelines elicited mixed reactions from breast cancer doctors, researchers and patient advocates. Some condemned them, saying mammograms help catch tumors at their earliest, most treatable stage, …