Can Regular Mammograms Save Your Life? Find Out What A New Study Shows

A new study in the journal Cancer shows that regular mammogram testing – especially for women in their 40’s – can save their lives.

Addressing The Mammogram Controversy

Researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and other institutions, led by Dr. Blake Cady, conducted a survey in which they analyzed medical data from more than 7,000 women to determine the value of mammography screening. The team tracked invasive breast cancers diagnosed between 1990 and 1999 and then analyzed outcomes in 2007.

The study, published in the American Cancer Society’s journal, Cancer, found that, of the 609 confirmed breast cancer deaths, 29% of the women were screened, while 71% had not had a mammogram in at least two years. Sixty-five percent had never had a mammogram. The research also found that women who died of breast cancer tended to be younger. Only 13% of those who died were age 70 or older, while 50% were younger than age 50.

The value of undergoing regular mammograms has been a controversial issue, particularly since the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force in 2009 proposed to limit screening to women ages 50 to 74 years. The task force recommended that women younger than age 50 talk to their doctors and weigh the risks and benefits of screening. The task force recommendation confounded many women, and their doctors, on the need for women in their 40’s to receive regular mammograms.

Meanwhile, the American Cancer Society has continued to recommend regular screenings for women, starting at age 40.

The latest research shows that regular breast screening saves lives and that it’s better to start screenings sooner rather than delaying until women are 50 or older, according to Dr. Cady, a surgical oncologist and professor emeritus at Harvard Medical School.

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