Breast imaging experts from Cancer Research U.K. believe that mammography screening should start three years earlier than age 50, the age recommended in most clinical guidelines. In a letter published in this week’s The Lancet, Peter Sasieni and Jack Cuzick stated that there is sufficient evidence now to lower the entry age for screening ahead of the ongoing research.
The duo suggested that women as young as 47 should be offered breast cancer screening in the U.K., giving mammographers a jump on screening-detected cancers. They also recommended that rather than undergoing annual screening, women should be screened every three years.
According to Sasieni, the incidence rate of breast cancer in women ages 48-49 is as great as that of women ages 50-54 years. He proposed that the number of life-years that could be saved is potentially greater among younger women.
Last week, another group of British researchers chastised mammographers for not providing women with complete information about the benefits and risks of screening. They argued that the decision to undergo screening is a judgment call, which an individual should be allowed to make. But most screening information, including scientific efficacy reports and patient education materials, falls short, they claimed in their British Medical Journal paper.
By AuntMinnnie.com staff writersJuly 17, 2003
Related Reading
U.K. group accuses breast cancer screening advocates of disinformation, July 11, 2003
UK breast cancer cases at record levels, June 2, 2003
Britain plans to update cancer technology, May 23, 2003
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