RSNA: Radiologists Disagree with USPSTF on Mammography

MedicalToday

CHICAGO -- Many of the radiologists at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America disagree with the new breast cancer screening guidelines from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), saying there's little evidence to support them and charging that implementation will lead to unnecessary deaths.

In this exclusive InFocus™ report, reporter Kristina Fiore talks with Mary C. Mahoney, MD, of the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, and vice chair of public information for RSNA, and W. Phil Evans, MD, of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, and president of the Society of Breast Imaging, about their concerns about the guidelines.

Progress made over the past two decades in reducing breast cancer deaths may be erased, they warn, and the cost of treating late-stage breast cancers will likely surpass mammogram expenses in women in their 40s.

According to Evans, physicians should follow the American Cancer Society guidelines, which recommend yearly screening mammography for women of average risk at age 40.