New mammogram guidelines stir controversy

(NEWSCHANNEL 3) - New mammogram guidelines are stirring up some controversy in the medical world.

A government task force says most women don't need to start annual exams until they turn 50. That's 10 years later than the American Cancer Society's recommendation.

This is a major change from what we've been told for years, but a government panel of doctors and scientists now says women don't need to get screened as early or as often for breast cancer.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force found that getting screened for breast cancer so early and so often leads to too many false alarms and uneeded biopsies without improving a women's odds of survival.

The panel says most women don't need mammograms in their 40's and should now get one every two years starting at age 50.

Many in the medical community are upset about the ruling, but some say screening women under 50 takes up too many resources.

"It doesn't make sense to be putting our efforts into doing mammography screening in women under 50 when we can find better tools that will help more women and be more accurate," said Dr. Susan Love of the Susan Love Research Foundation.

The task force went on to say that breast self-exams do no good and women shouldn't be taught to do them.

The reason this news has upset so many in the medical community is the guidelines issued by the task force influence the coverage of screening tests by Medicare and many insurance companies.

There is expected to be a lot of debate on this issue.