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Mammograms The decision to reduce the frequency of mammograms gave me cause to pause and think about the issue and the forces at play. There are powerful lobbies at work, including those that benefit from more procedures and those that want to reduce costs by providing less services. There are groups with strong opinions on both sides, as well as ethical scientists looking at data. In general, more frequent screening translates to more likelihood of an issue being caught earlier. Mammograms reducing the number of deaths to breast cancer is significant for women over forty, but statistically, younger women who are less prone to cancer benefit very little from those screenings. More frequent screening also equates to a higher lifetime radiation exposure, more false positives and the anxiety those cause, and more painful biopsies. I imagine all of these issues were on the minds of the people on the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force who made the decision. I am always happy when we find that a procedure is not necessary. Especially one that causes such discomfort and concern. Less is more in my opinion, with some exceptions. I'm glad this is not an exception. |
