Women should continue screening mammograms at age 40

A breast expert at Baptist Hospital East is urging women to continue having routine screening mammograms performed beginning at age 40.

Recently, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommended that women begin screening mammograms later in life, and have them less frequently.

However, many experts – including those at the Baptist Hospital East Breast Care Center -- are standing behind the current recommendations for screening mammograms as an important life-saving tool in the fight against breast cancer.

Lawrence Mason, MD, who completed a fellowship in women’s imaging at Vanderbilt, is advising women to have their first (baseline) mammogram at age 35. Dr. Mason, the lead interpreting radiologist at the Baptist East Breast Care Center, was instrumental in bringing breast MRI and MRI-guided biopsy to Baptist East.

Dr. Mason issued the following statement on behalf of the Baptist Hospital East Breast Care Center:

“As a facility that is accredited by the American College of Radiology (ACR), our stance regarding the use of mammography in women without symptoms (screening) is in line with that of our accrediting body, the ACR. 

“For women of average lifetime risk for breast cancer, we support the routine use of mammography as a screening exam in women who are of 40 years of age and over with an initial baseline examination at the age of 35 years of age. 

“For women who have an increased risk for breast cancer, the initial exam and subsequent routine exams may be started at an earlier age or performed in conjunction with other tests such as ultrasound or MRI. 

“The decision of when to start and stop routine mammography is a personal decision that should be made in consultation with a physician.  Additionally, physical signs of disease often lead to diagnosis of not only breast illnesses, but also the illnesses of most organ systems throughout our bodies.

“We understand the difficulty in establishing clarity regarding this matter and are here to assist you with any questions that may exist surrounding this issue and your breast care.”

Baptist East’s Breast Care Center has been designated a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence by the ACR. Baptist East is the only hospital in Louisville to receive this designation and one of only four in Kentucky.