Read these important excerpts from news articles on the hot topic of mammograms versus MRIs in the detection of breast cancer
Experts say MRIs won’t replace mammograms anytime soon.
Last week, for the first time, the American Cancer Society recommended annual MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) exams for women like Meyers, who have an unusually high risk of breast cancer.
But the announcement has triggered a new round of questions for many women: Exactly who is at “high risk”? And why, if the test is so good, aren’t they recommending it for everybody?
After the Cancer Society announcement, clinics were flooded with calls from women who wanted an MRI or were baffled by the guidelines, according to breast cancer specialists throughout the Twin Cities.
Source: Mammogram or MRI: Which do women really need?
Mammography: To Be or Not To Be?
The American Cancer Society recommended MRI breast scan to detect breast cancer at its earliest stage, but the American College of Physicians issued a new set of guidelines saying mammography decisions should be based on individual cases and not generalized.
In its new recommendations, the [American College of Physicians] group said routine mammography screening in low-risk population was unwarranted and caused more harm than good.
The ACP recommendations are published in the April 3 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
The ACP says:
* Doctors should perform individualized assessment for breast cancer risk in women ages 40 to 49. These regular assessments must ultimately determine the necessity of mammography screening.* Further in this age group mammography decisions must be based on benefits and harms of screening and women must be fully informed about both these conditions.
* The breast cancer-risk profile of a woman must be assessed before deciding on mammography.
* For women 40 to 49 years of age, the benefits and harms of breast cancer screening must be researched thoroughly.
Source: NewsLocale – Mammography: To Be or Not To Be?
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