The question of when to stop getting a mammogram is tricky, if not controversial. According to the American Cancer Society, there’s no age limit for mammograms. That leaves women in their 70s and 80s or older to ponder if the screening is still relevant for them.
While women in their very senior years can still get breast cancer, it’s less common and grows more slowly. (Please forgive the humorous photo. I couldn’t resist using it.)
When helping older women choose whether to get the screening, doctors may consider the patient’s general health. If the patient isn’t in good health and likely wouldn’t survive treatment for breast cancer, there’s not much incentive for the screening. When life expectancy is shorten by a serious illness, mammograms aren’t usually recommended.
The American Cancer Society states that for as long as women are in good health and would be candidates for treatment, they should have mammograms. Many doctors follow that advice, and others may tell women 80 or older that mammograms aren’t necessary. There seems to be no absolute golden rule. Plus, breast cancer in older women hasn’t been studied as much as breast cancer in younger women.
One disadvantage of older women having mammograms is that many of them may be faced with follow-up procedures, such as more tests or biopsies. In many cases, no cancer will be found from that additional testing, but it can cause anxiety in patients. According to a 1998 study of 1,000 women ages 70 and older, only 10 cases of breast cancer were found after 81 of the patients underwent additional testing.
Do you agree that age shouldn’t be a factor in stopping mammograms?
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Post from: Blisstree