By Jessie Weisner

New breast cancer screening guidelines encourage women to choose for themselves

Dec 10, 2018 | 4:15 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB — New guidelines for breast cancer screening could change the way some women think about getting tested.

The Guidelines recommend weighing the pros and cons of a mammogram with your doctor, and deciding what’s best for you.

The Canadian Task Force for Preventive Health Care released the new guidelines, which say women under 50 years old may be experiencing more harm than benefits from the test.

In addition, it says woman over 50 don’t necessarily need to follow a rigid schedule for breast cancer screenings.

HERE'S WHAT TO KNOW

Summer pool hours extended and discounts applied as Big Marble Go Centre upgrades start

Apr 18, 2024

Medicine Hat company drawing in clients with witty signage

Apr 16, 2024

Medicine Hat College holding event for missing and murdered Indigenous women awareness day

Apr 16, 2024

The Task Force said that while a mammogram somewhat reduces the risk of death from breast cancer, it can result in issues, like false positives and needless biopsies.

There’s also a risk of over-diagnosis and over-treatment, which could result in unnecessary chemotherapy, radiation and surgery.

The likelihood of these risks outweighed any potential benefits for women under the age of 50, especially because only one breast cancer death happens for every 1700 women that get screened in the age group.

However, for women 50 and older, getting a mammogram every two or three years is recommended.

“The updated evidence review for this guideline continues to show a narrow balance, a narrow margin between harms and benefits of screening,” says Dr. Ainsley Moore. “It still appears to be less favourable for younger women between the ages of 40 to 49 compared to older women 50 to 74 years of age.”

The Task Force acknowledges the fact that some women may want to get tested regardless of the risks, and that some won’t.

They say the margin between the benefit and risk is so narrow, every woman should be able to choose what actions they take.

One Doctor believes the decision should be made after discussing it with a doctor and considering priorities and values.

“To engage in a discussion about what has value relative from harms to benefits,” says Dr. Ainsley Moore. “How that woman’s relative priorities actually influences whether she decides to undergo screening or not.”

Moore says other methods of screening such as an MRI, ultrasound or clinical exam aren’t very dependable, because they’re not backed up by proper data.