New Info in the Mammography Debate
Readers,
You may recall this controversy back in 2009:
The debate centered on new mammography guidelines for women in their 40′s. The guidelines caused a significant debate on the level of importance of mammograms for women in this age group.
Next chapter of the story: Today, there’s new info:
OHSU’s press release nicely explains the new data.
and from news coverage, OHSU’s role in the work:
In one analysis, researchers led by Dr. Heidi Nelson of Oregon Health & Science University in Portland reviewed 66 studies that determined women’s chances of getting breast cancer based on their family history, weight, drinking and smoking habits and whether they had ever given birth or breastfed.
They found having a mom or sister with breast cancer or having very dense breasts, in particular, were each linked to a doubling of a woman’s likelihood of getting cancer.
Women whose more distant relatives had breast cancer, or those who had kids after age 30 or not at all, also had a slightly increased risk of cancer.
Being aware of those risks factors may help doctors and patients create a more personalized screening strategy, Nelson and her colleagues concluded.
