AMA Recommends Start of Breast Cancer Screening at 40
Life, they say, begins at 40, and according to a recent recommendation update from the American Medical Association (AMA), so should breast cancer screening among women.
Women who turn 40 should be eligible for screening mammography, and that they should be able to have that screening covered by their insurance.
The report quoted Dr. Patrice A. Harris, AMA board member, who said: “Early detection of breast cancer increases the odds of a patient’s survival, and mammography screenings are an important tool in discovering this cancer. Patients are different and have varying degrees of cancer risk, and patients should regularly talk with their doctors to determine if mammography screening is right for them.”
The AMA recommendation is in conflict with that of the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), as mentioned in a report on MedPage Today.
In 2009, the USPSTF recommended against routine screening mammography for breast cancer for women younger than 50. A number of medical groups disagreed with the USPSTF recommendations, including the American Cancer Society, the American College of Radiology, and the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. In addition to its recommendations on breast cancer screening, the USPSTF also said that PSA testing for prostate cancer detection does not really save lives, and usually results in unnecessary testing, intervention, and treatment.
The AMA House of Delegates also voted to adopt a resolution at stated that the AMA “expresses concern regarding recent recommendations by the USPSTF on screening mammography and prostate specific antigen (PSA) screening and the effects these recommendations have on limiting access to preventive care for Americans.”
Tags: breast cancer mammogram, breast cancer screening, breast cancer tests, early cancer detection, PSA testing, PSA tests for prostate cancer detection
