Mammogram Debate Intensifies with New Study Suggesting Less Frequent Screenings Still Effective
- A new study presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium suggests undergoing less frequent mammograms is “no worse than undergoing annual mammograms” for women in remission from early-stage breast cancer. “Overall survival was 94.7% in the annual mammogram group and 94.5% in the less-frequent mammogram group,” according to the study.
- The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends women at average breast cancer risk begin screening for breast cancer at age 40. Women with the BRCA gene mutation, who have a family history of cancer or have dense breasts, are at higher risk and should talk with their doctor about when to screen may be younger than 40.
- SurvivorNet experts recommend performing a monthly breast self-exam to look for anything unusual with your breasts because it can help catch breast cancer between regularly scheduled mammograms.
- Breast density is determined through mammograms. However, women with dense breasts are at a higher risk for developing breast cancer because dense breast tissue can mask potential cancer during screening.
- 3D mammograms, breast ultrasound, breast MRI, and molecular breast imaging are options for women with dense breasts for a more precise screening. It is important to ask your doctor about your breast density and cancer risk.
As it stands now, the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends women begin screening for breast cancer at age 40. These screenings are encouraged annually.
However, for women in remission from early stage breast cancer, there is some new debate about the frequency of recommended screening. A new study presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium suggests undergoing less frequent mammograms is “no worse than undergoing annual mammograms” for women in remission from early stage breast cancer.
During the study, the women were divided into two groups: one who received annual mammograms for five years and the other who received a mammogram every two to three years. Women in the second group had undergone a lumpectomy or a full mastectomy.
RELATED: Should I Have a Lumpectomy or Mastectomy?
Dunn explained that “Over the five-year study period, a similar percentage of survivors experienced a recurrence of their cancer, regardless of how often they had a mammogram: 5.9% among the annual mammogram group and 5.5% among the less-frequent mammogram group.”
“Overall survival was 94.7% in the annual mammogram group and 94.5% in the less-frequent mammogram group,” she added.
RELATED: Getting to Know Your Breasts with Self-Exams
Helping You Understand Breast Cancer Screening
- Earlier Mammograms for Black Women May Reduce Breast Cancer Mortality Disparity Rates By 57%; How to Screen for this Disease
- The Mammogram Debate: Should Women Start Breast Cancer Screening at 30?
- Mammograms Are Still the Best Tool for Detecting Breast Cancer — A Warning About Thermography
- How to Avoid False Positive Cancer Results in Women With Dense Breasts: Ultrasounds Used in Addition To Mammograms
Expert Advice on Breast Cancer Screening
Although new research presented at the breast cancer symposium suggests there is a marginal difference in risk of recurrence if mammograms are undertaken annually or once every two to three years, the medical community broadly agrees on annual screenings between the ages of 40 and 54. For women aged 55 and older, the American Cancer Society recommends getting a mammogram every other year. However, women in this age group who want added reassurance can still get annual mammograms.
Women with a strong family history of breast cancer, have dense breasts, have a genetic mutation known to increase the risk of breast cancer, such as a BRCA gene mutation, or a medical history, including chest radiation therapy before age 30, are considered at higher risk for breast cancer.
WATCH: Understanding the BRCA gene mutation.
Experiencing menstruation at an early age (before 12) or having dense breasts can also put you into a high-risk category. If you are at a higher risk for developing breast cancer, you should begin screening earlier.
Breast density is determined through mammograms. However, women with dense breasts are at a higher risk for developing breast cancer because dense breast tissue can mask potential cancer during screening. 3D mammograms, breast ultrasound, breast MRI, and molecular breast imaging are options for women with dense breasts for a more precise screening. It is important to ask your doctor about your breast density and cancer risk.
Family History & Breast Cancer Risk
Although breast cancer can happen to anyone, certain factors can increase a person’s risk of getting the disease. The known risk factors for breast cancer include:
- Older age
- Having a gene mutation such as the BRCA1 or BRCA2
- Added exposure to estrogen
- Having children after the age of 30
- Exposure to radiation early in life
- Family history of the disease
WATCH: Understanding genetic testing for breast cancer.
RELATED: Is Genetic Testing Right for You?
Different types of genetic testing can help people with a family history of cancer better ascertain their cancer risks. Your doctor will discuss your family history of cancer with you in the context of your type of tumor and your age at diagnosis. Hereditary genetic testing is usually done with a blood or saliva test.
About ten percent of breast cancers are hereditary, says Dr. Ophira Ginsburg, Director of the High-Risk Cancer Program at NYU Langone’s Perlmutter Cancer Center.
“We encourage only those with a family history to get [genetic testing],” Dr. Ginsburg tells SurvivorNet.
“I would say that if you have anyone in your family diagnosed with a rare cancer. Or if you have a strong family history of one or two kinds of cancer, particularly breast and ovarian, but also colon, rectal, uterine, and ovarian cancer, that goes together in another cancer syndrome called the Lynch Syndrome,” Dr. Ginsburg adds.
The second test involves the genetic sequencing of your tumor if you’ve been diagnosed with cancer by this point. These genetic changes can be inherited, but most arise during a person’s lifetime. This process usually involves examining a biopsy or surgical specimen of your tumor. This testing can lead to decisions on drugs that might work against your cancer.
Why Early Detection Matters to Giuliana Rancic
TV host and entrepreneur Giuliana Rancic, 49, might never have had the mammogram that saved her life if she and her husband, Bill, hadn’t been experiencing infertility.
“My husband and I had been married a few years,” she explained. “We had this unexplained infertility for a couple of years there, where no one could tell us what the problem was,” the “E-News” host explained.
Watch a snippet of Rancic’s story.
Rancic saw a fertility specialist whose protocol required all his patients to get a mammogram before treatment began. “I’m 36 years old,” she recalls asking the doctor. “Are you sure I need to get one?”
His response surprised her: “My job is to get you pregnant,” he said. “And, if you do happen to have breast cancer that is fueled by hormones, that’s the last thing I want to do for you.”
Rancic, who had no family history of breast cancer, was diagnosed in 2011. “I was perfectly healthy,” she said.
“I truly believe that this was all part of a bigger plan,” Rancic told SurvivorNet.
“The ‘why’ was because I wasn’t meant to be pregnant. I would have had this breast cancer that I wouldn’t have known about, and I don’t know where I would be today. It was actually a blessing that I got that mammogram at 36 years old,” she added.
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