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Fri Nov 20 23:43:01 PST 2009

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UPDATE: Mammogram Controversy

UPDATED Thursday, November 19, 2009 --- 7:20 a.m. WASHINGTON (AP) -- A member of the panel whose new mammogram recommendations have led to confusion is defending the task force's report. Dr. Timothy Wilt, a member of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, stuck by its recommendation that most women don't need mammograms in their 40s and should get one every two years starting at 50. The American Cancer Society's long-standing position has been that women should get cancer-screening mammograms starting at age 40. Appearing Thursday on ABC's "Good Morning America," Wilt said the report was based on "up-to-date, accurate information about the evidence about the harms and benefits of treatment." He said each woman still needs to talk with her doctor to make the most informed decision. Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. ______________________________________________________ UPDATED Wednesday, November 18, 2009 --- 5:30 p.m. WASHINGTON (AP) -- Women should keep getting regular mammograms starting at age 40. That message comes today from Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. And it's aimed at easing confusion over a recommendation earlier this week from a task force. The government panel said Monday that most women don't need mammograms in their 40s, and that they should get one every two years starting at age 50. That differs from the longstanding position of the American Cancer Society, which says women should get screening mammograms starting at 40. Sebelius says the task force doesn't set federal policy, and doesn't "determine what services are covered by the federal government." Medicare, which covers older Americans and some younger ones who are disabled, provides coverage for an annual mammogram at age 40 and older. Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. ______________________________________________________ UPDATED Tuesday, November 17, 2009 --- 8:15 a.m. NEW YORK (AP) -- Women in their 40s are reacting with confusion and skepticism over the recommendations of a government task force concerning mammograms. The task force says most women don't need mammograms in their 40s and should get one every two years starting at 50. That's a stunning reversal and a break with the American Cancer Society's long-standing position. What's more, the panel said breast self-exams do no good, and women shouldn't be taught to do them. Breast cancer survivors who were diagnosed at a young age are among the more vocal critics of the new guidelines. For its part, the American Cancer Society has been recommending annual mammograms beginning at 40, and it's staying with that position. Most women in their 40s interviewed by The Associated Press said they plan to follow the old mammography recommendations, at least for now. Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. ______________________________________________________ Posted Monday, November 16, 2009 --- 5:30 p.m. NEW YORK (AP) -- A government task force is offering breast examination advice that runs contrary to the long-standing position of the American Cancer Society. The task force says most women don't need a mammogram in their 40s and should get one every two years starting at 50. It also says breast self-exams do no good and women shouldn't be taught to do them. The American Cancer Society recommends mammograms beginning in the 40's. But the government panel of doctors and scientists concluded that getting screened for breast cancer so early and so often leads to too many false alarms and unneeded biopsies without substantially improving women's odds of survival. Some experts say the reversal is expected to generate debate and confusion. The new guidelines were issued by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Its stance influences coverage of screening tests by Medicare and many insurance companies. But an insurance industry group official says insurance coverage is not likely to change because of the new guidelines. Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

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