The Aultman Health Foundation and the Aultman Breast Care Center are deeply concerned that the recent recommendations by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force regarding breast cancer screening will cause unnecessary loss of life due to undetected breast cancers and breast cancers that will be diagnosed at a later stage. A panel composed of primary care physicians chose to ignore the 30 percent reduction in breast cancer mortality witnessed over the past two decades, which has resulted from early detection and better treatment. Instead, the panel focused on the “risks” of anxiety, discomfort from mammography, morbidity of a benign biopsy and possible overtreatment from inability to distinguish which cancers will become lethal. Clearly none of these premises outweigh the benefit of saving a life. The panel arbitrarily decided that the cost of saving certain women from breast cancer death with mammography is too high.
Although mammography has limitations, it has unquestionably been shown to save lives, including those of women in their 40s. In addition, state-of-the-art digital mammography has been shown to detect more cancers than standard mammography in younger women. About 13 percent of breast cancers diagnosed and treated at Aultman Hospital are found in women aged 40-49. Breast cancer at this age is generally more aggressive and carries worse prognosis. One-sixth of breast cancer deaths occur in women in their 40s. Also, moving to screening mammography every other year after age 50 instead of yearly will also cost lives and reduce options for treatment such as lumpectomy and sentinel node biopsy.
Mammography is a safe and effective tool for finding early breast cancer in women aged 30 and above. Radiation dose is minimal, especially with digital mammography equipment. Aultman Health Foundation and AultCare support the continued recommendation of the American Cancer Society, the American College of Surgeons, the American College of Radiology, the American Society of Breast Disease and the Society of Breast Imaging that women continue breast self-examination and that yearly mammography commence at age 40 and continue until there is no benefit from early detection of breast cancer.
Dr. Terry Mamounas Dr. Thomas Poulton
Aultman Cancer Center Aultman Breast Care Center
Medical Director Medical Director