New mammogram guidelines controversial

A government-backed panel of doctors say the harms of yearly mammograms outweigh the benefits for women under 50. Many in the medical community, however, say they are outraged by the report.

Currently, women 40 and older are encouraged to get a mammogram every year. But the US Preventive Services Task Force says that is no longer necessary.

The panel released new guidelines on Tuesday saying:

• Women 40 - 49 no longer need annual mammograms
• Women 50 - 74 can get a mammogram every other year instead of every year
• Self-breast exams are of no value

Laurie Cooney, with the Breast Cancer Family Foundation, says she disagrees strongly with the new recommendations. The 44-year-old is a breast cancer survivor who says a simple self-breast exam helped save her life.

"It didn't feel right for me and it didn't look right so I did go to the doctor and have a mammogram," said Cooney.

Five years later, Cooney is cancer free. She says the new guidelines discourage early detection.

"If you happen to go in at a later stage, the odds are you could potentially be diagnosed at a later stage of cancer and the later stage, the stage 3 or 4, the survival rates aren't quite as good," said Cooney.

The task force, however, argues there are potential harms to women who receive yearly mammograms. The report argues the potential harms of yearly exams outweigh the benefits.

"By harms I mean there were women that would undergo false positive exams, unnecessary biopsies and even be treated for cancers that would never have harmed them," said Jeanne Mandelblatt, with the Lombardi Cancer Center.

Kathy Schoendorf, a breast health nurse with Prevea, says mammograms are necessary for women in their 40's -- and sometimes even women younger than that.

"We're trying to detect the breast cancer early in these women who, otherwise, would not know that they had breast cancer," said Schoendorf.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), breast cancer is the 7th leading cause of death among women. Some worry the new recommendations will result in insurance companies no longer covering preventative procedures for women younger than 50.

A national insurance industry group says that's just not the case.

Minneapolis-based United Health Care would not comment specifically about possible changes in coverage. But the insurance company did release a statement saying in part, "A decision about mammography requires a detailed discussion between the patient and her physician and it should consider the medical evidence, patient preferences and unique clinical issues for each patient. Mammography coverage at UnitedHealthcare has always been based on this philosophy."

It's a very personal debate about what's best for the system and the patients it serves.