A government panel sparked a controversy by saying Monday that women should start getting mammograms at 50, instead of 40, and then get them every two years instead of annually. The group also said doctors should stop teaching patients how to do self-exams for breast cancer, because the practice hasn't been shown to reduce cancer deaths. The panel — United States Preventive Services Task Force — said early testing can trigger unnecessary tests and scare patients by detecting cancers that pose no risk. Some doctors think it's dangerous to cut back on screening. Would cutting back on mammograms and self-exams put women's lives at risk? (Watch NBC's Dr. Nancy Snyderman discuss the changing wisdom for breast exams)
This will kill people: "If I had waited until I was 50 to get a mammogram, I would be dead," says Stacy Martello in FightPink.org. "I was 42 when I was diagnosed," and had no option but a mastectomy even with early diagnosis. Yes, most women with life-threatening breast cancer are over 50 — but "thousands and thousands" of others are stricken in their 40s. "Isn’t their lives worth a simple test?"
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