Mammograms and the Risk of Breast Cancer
There are many things that can be researched when it comes to cancer. One of the most prevalent is breast cancer, which occurs at high rates amongst women especially. I have family members who’s lives have been permanently changed from cancer so it was appealing for me to do a short write up about breast cancer for my developmental psychology course. The goal was to summarize breast cancer and information about mammograms.
As humans age, risk for various diseases and illnesses increase depending on the psychological health, physical and overall well-being of that person. Of the biggest concerns for adults is cancer, and the fear for the uncertain future that comes with that. At middle adulthood, women reach the point where breast cancer becomes even more of a concern, especially after the age of 30. There are different techniques for catching breast cancer in its early stages like self-exams and mammograms but the time and frequency of when women should have mammograms is controversial. According to the US Preventive Services Task Force, recommends that women do not need regular mammograms before the age of 50 and women between the ages of 50-74 should have a mammogram every two years. (Feldman, 2017). One of the biggest reasons for this is because the frequency of false positives is so high in younger women who have denser breast tissue. For women age at 40 the risk of false positives over a ten-year period of annual mammograms was 70% compared to 4.8% for biennial screenings (Myers, 2015. False positives are not only problematic, but they can also cause increased fear, stress, anxiety and worry.
Meanwhile, the American Cancer Society and American college of radiology recommend that women at 40 years of age and above receive annual mammograms (Mater, 2013). It is shown that by having a yearly mammogram starting at 40, breast cancer death decreased by 20% (Myers, 2015). In a study done of 555 women at the Mayo Clinic, 76% of participants believed that getting annual mammograms was necessary. Screenings are preventative and extremely important especially for situations where there is family history of breast cancer and the risk is greater depending on genetic testing.
In order to make the best decision when it comes to mammograms, every situation is different, and it is a very personal decision that should be made with the help of a physician. Some women may feel the need to receive more frequent mammograms because of family history while others may have the means to do so at ease and just want to be extra preventative. I think that deciding when and how often is soley up to that person and her doctor. Mammograms are not cheap, but they can bring some peace of mind to those who worry and greatly fear the risk of cancer as age increases.
References
Jaya M. Mehta, Kathy L. MacLaughlin, Denise M. Millstine, Stephanie S. Faubion, Mark R.
Wallace, Amit A. Shah, et. al. (2019). Breast cancer screening: women’s attitudes and beliefs in light of updated united states preventative services task force and American cancer society guideless Journal of Women’s Health. 28(3). http://doi.org/10.1089/jwh.2017.6885
Mea, Mater. (2013). New study may change how you feel about mammograms. Huffington Post. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/mammogram-screenings-every-two-years_n_2630773
Myers ER, Moorman P, Gierisch JM, et al. (2015). Benefits and Harms of Breast Cancer Screening: A Systematic Review. JAMA. 314(15):1615–1634. doi:10.1001/jama.2015.13183
