Report raises ruckus on mammograms

CHESAPEAKE, Va. - A new government task force report has raised the recommended age for routine mammograms to 50.

WAVY.com reported the news Monday and ever since scores of people have been making comments on WAVY.com and on WAVY-TV's Facebook page.  

Shelly wrote, "I just got diagnosed at 35 and this makes me sick to hear they are pushing back the age recommendation."  

Kathy wrote, "WOW! Prime example of what health care would be if left to the government."

And it seems many local health professionals agree.

"Well, I just spoke to a breast cancer patient and she was actually kind of shocked at the report because she found her breast lump by doing a self breast exam," said Terri Howell, the Breast Care Manager at Chesapeake Regional Medical Center, who is very concerned what the report will do to women's health.   "I was able to put a face to every person I know under 50 that has been diagnosed with cancer that has either been found through the mammogram or found through a self-breast exam and I thought what if that person hadn't done either one."

Sabrina Singletary just got a mammogram.   "When I was younger that's all I kept hearing, that when you turn 40 you know, you should get your mammogram."

But the new report by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force is now saying women who are not high risk for breast cancer can wait until they're 50, and even then only need a mammogram every other year.  Researchers say younger women have denser breasts and screening can be unreliable.

Dr. Diana Petitti, a member of the task force said, "That is, the likelihood of having a false positive test with all that anxiety, the additional imaging tests, perhaps even leading to a biopsy that may have been unnecessary."

The task force even says there's no need to teach women to do self-breast exams.

But, Howell remains adamant. "Here at Chesapeake we will continue to follow the American Cancer Society's stand on this. Women need to be doing self breast exams, clinical breast exams and annually after 40 they need to be getting mammograms."

Howell also suggested talking directly with your physician if you have concerns or questions about what is best for you.