"The Case For Early Screening Mammography" - Kristin Jenkins
In the United States, the continuing controversy over the best age to start screening mammography has put women younger than 50 years at significantly increased risk for delayed diagnosis, which leads to more extensive and costly treatment and affects quality of life as well as the bottom line. This was the message from Elisa Port, MD, director of the Dubin Breast Center and chief of breast surgery at The Mount Sinai Hospital, who was speaking recently at the annual meeting of the American Society of Breast Surgeons. “I worry that doing fewer mammograms now is being pennywise and pound foolish,” Dr. Port said. “Not doing mammograms because of cost or fear of false-positives is a decision that is likely to blow up later when women face more extensive therapy, including surgery and chemotherapy.” Dr. Port said her “personal recommendation for screening mammography would be for women to have it annually starting at age 40.” She added that in women at high risk, “screening needs to start earlier.”
- Elisa Port, MD, FACS, Director of the Dubin Breast Center and Chief of Breast Surgery, The Mount Sinai Hospital
