WTOL.com, Toledo's News Leader, News 11 | Controversy about what age to get first mammogram

Controversy about what age to get first mammogram

By Melissa Voetsch email | bio

Posted by Jason Rzucidlo email

(WTOL) -- A fire-storm of controversy surrounding a new government task force recommendation. It says women only need to get mammograms after age 50 instead of age 40.

The report goes on to say women shouldn't bother doing self-breast exams.

Joyce Micheaux spends her days working as an ultra-sound technician at the Toledo Hospital Breast Cancer Center.

"I feel totally outraged as a survivor," Micheaux said. "I cannot believe they're doing this to us."

She herself was diagnosed with an aggressive breast cancer two years ago at 44. She says the latest report pushing mammogram recommendations back to 50 years old are a slap in the face for women.

"Really, Life saving mammograms, we don't care about you," Micheaux said. "You're such a small minority of people, which is not true this impact is deadly."

Radiologist Dr. Robin Shermis agrees. In the past 24 hours, he's seen a fire-storm of opposition against the move.

"They're looking at everyone as a statistic," Shermis said. "Not as a person not as someone behind a face."

Dr. Shermis says he's hearing from colleagues and patients that the task force recommendations are about money and politics.

"The people on the task force admit mammography does save lives," Shermis added. "It's too expensive to save lives with the budget they have."

Ultimately most agree, it's about lives.

"If I had not had a regular screening mammogram," Micheaux said. "And i waited until the age of 50, there's no doubt in my mind i'd be dead."

At this point, the resounding recommendation is: continue to get your yearly mammograms starting at 40. The American Cancer Society is sticking with it's position.

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