In recent medical news, experts have actually recommended discontinuing routine mammograms for breast cancer survivors with less than five years left to live as part of new imaging guidelines.
Radiologists should also consider stopping any screening for those with a 5-10 year life expectancy while continuing the practice for those beyond that range. The recommendations are part of new recommendations, compiled by dozens of experts in several fields.
It had been noted that up until this week, there was little guidance on breast imaging for seniors who previously beat cancer.
The result is that the use of mammography for older survivors has been highly inconsistent. With the number of older women who will be diagnosed with breast cancer expected to increase in the coming years, it’s important that there are ways to individualize decisions for each patient’s circumstances and preferences.
Patients were enlisted to help compile the guidelines, alongside experts in radiology, nursing, primary care, geriatrics and more. Their work included a review of relevant literature on the benefits and risks of mammography among elder patients who previously had the disease. They further hashed out their findings through focus groups and other means.
The bottom line is, that mammography offers modest to little benefit for older women, presenting downsides such as false positives, anxiety, and overtreatment. Thus it has been called for the discontinuation of screening for women 75 or older who are expected to live less than five years, even in individuals with a history of high-risk tumors.
Life expectancy is calculated by using medical history, functional independence, smoking habits, recent hospitalizations and previous falls in the past year, among other factors. Women over age 85 with a life expectancy under five years should also stop screenings, unless they are in extraordinary health, with a strong preference for continued imaging.
If you are in need of a mammogram (and aren’t a breast cancer survivor like mentioned in this article), it can be done carefully and consistently at Hollywood Diagnosticss Center in Hollywood, Florida, which is the leading Diagnosticss center that features this imaging technology.
If you are looking for the best MRI center in Hollywood, Florida then you have come to the right place! To book your medical imaging today please contact our medical team here or call us at: (954) 966-3600. At Hollywood Diagnosticss Center we look forward to the opportunity to serve you in all your future medical imaging needs. Including Open MRI, High-field MRI, PET Scan, CT Scan, Mammography, Ultrasound, Echocardiogram, X-ray, EKG, Bone Density Scans and more!