In response to today's release of new American Cancer Society (ACS) breast cancer screening guidelines, the Susan G. Komen breast cancer organization said it is concerned that the new recommendation could reduce access to and payment for screening mammography.
ACS has raised its recommended age for when screening should start from 40 to 45, and it advised that women ages 55 to 74 receive mammography every two years rather than every year.
In a statement, Susan G. Komen President and CEO Dr. Judy Salerno said the debate over the timing of mammography fails to address several important issues, such as the shift in medicine to determining individual screening needs based on a woman's risk, such a family history of breast cancer.
In addition, it's estimated that one-third of women who should be screened do not access these service, meaning that all necessary steps should be taken to ensure that women do not face economic or other barriers when their healthcare providers recommend screening, according to Salerno.
Also, investments must continue to support finding more accurate, cost-effective, easy-to-administer, and widely available screening methods than mammography, Salerno said.
While noting that the ACS recommendation is not binding for healthcare providers or payors, Salerno said that Komen is concerned that the recommendation has the potential to reduce accessibility to and coverage for health screenings from both private and public insurers. Komen and its scientific advisors will closely review the ACS recommendation, according to the organization.
