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New Breast Screening Guidelines Cause Debate

The American Cancer Society (ACS) recently changed its long-standing guidelines for breast diagnostics now advising women to begin a screening program at age 45 five years later than the previous recommendation. Additionally the ACS is suggesting that primary care physicians and patients collaborate to decide based on personal and family history when they feel screening should begin.

We all know screening saves lives. The question is when to start and how long to screen.

The experts at Sonnenalp Breast Center and Shaw Regional Cancer Center believe a tailored approach to screening is in the future however at this point there isn't adequate information to make an informed decision about who is at average risk and should wait to begin screening and who is at higher risk and should start screening at age 40.

Who qualifies as average risk?
The ACS is vague about this category and is currently reviewing the factors that would indicate which patients are at an average risk.

“If you are above average risk you should begin screening at age 40 no question” said Dr. Monique Fox a certified breast radiologist at Sonnenalp. Higher risk is defined by significant family history a diagnosis of benign proliferative breast disease and/or dense breast tissue. If any of these criteria are met yearly screening is recommended.

One flaw in this categorization is that in order to know if you have dense breasts you first need a baseline mammogram. This is determined solely by mammography and not by a clinical breast exam. “Based on this alone it is wise to recommend a baseline mammogram at age 40” said Fox.

According to current data screening every year has decreased the mortality from breast cancer in all age groups by 40% when beginning screening at age 40. So why change the recommendations?

The national data show that only 6% of breast cancer is found in women ages 40-45. This means that the percentage is low enough in this age group to warrant discussion with the patient on whether or not she wants to be screened and accept the perceived harms of screening. “The media emphasizes unnecessary callbacks and biopsies but in fact the average number of times a patient will get called back from screening in this age group is once every 12 years” explained Fox. “The average number of times a patient will undergo a false positive biopsy is 1 in 149 years. These numbers are extremely low and the numbers at Sonnenalp Breast Center are even lower because of our advanced technology.”

In Eagle County the percentage of cancers detected in women age 40-45 is 11% almost double the national average. “This significant number of cancers found warrants screening” said Dr. Janice Ugale a breast radiologist and the medical director at Sonnenalp.

So why are the national numbers different than those at the Sonnenalp? One reason is that the data collected by the ACS is more than two years old.

“At the Sonnenalp we are seeing a trend of younger women being diagnosed with breast cancer” explained Ugale. “A second reason is that we use 3D imaging also known as Tomosynthesis.” With this technology the average number of times a woman will get called back is 1 in every 14 years 15% lower than the national average.

“Our cancer detection rate is 40% higher than the national average using 3D imaging” said Ugale. “We are 6% more successful in finding stage 1 cancers which are the smallest detected cancers and do not have lymph node involvement resulting in the best chance for cure. This is entirely due to 3D technology and annual screening. Finding early breast cancers by using 3D mammography is the goal of a good screening. We are doing it right at Sonnenalp. 3D technology screening breast ultrasound also used at the Shaw Breast Center in Frisco is used to increase our cancer detection rate.”

The second push by the ACS and United States Preventive Services Task Force USPSTF is to change to screening recommendations for women over age 50 to every other year. At age 50 or around the time of menopause the rate of hormone responsive cancers increases and these tumors tend to be slower growing. Unfortunately for this group of women there isn't a way to know who will get these slower growing tumors versus the faster growing ones. Important to note is that the incidence of breast cancer is the highest after age 50. Therefore experts at Shaw conclude this group benefits from annual screening to detect cancer early.

The Shaw Cancer Center Cancer Committee unanimously recommends annual screening for all women beginning at age 40 and encourages women to continue screening as long as they choose to be proactive concerning their breast health.

“Our primary responsibility at Sonnenalp is our patients” said Ugale. “We maintain our commitment to provide the best care and expertise to guide our patients in the pursuit of breast health.”

About Sonnenalp Breast Center and Shaw Regional Cancer
Established in 2002 Sonnenalp Breast Center is an American College of Radiology (ACR) Breast Imaging Center of Excellence and is accredited by the Mammography Quality Standards Act. With 3D Mammography—the most advanced technology in breast imaging—and the expertise of certified breast radiologists Sonnenalp provides the most sophisticated diagnostics available in the Rocky Mountains. Shaw Regional Cancer Center combines the expertise of highly trained physicians and cancer specialists with advanced technology and the healing powers of fitness nutrition and compassion to provide comprehensive cancer care right in Edwards Colorado. Sonnenalp Breast Center and Shaw Regional Cancer Center are outpatient departments of Vail Valley Medical Center a 501(c)(3) nonprofit medical center since 1965. For more information visit www.shawcancercenter.com.