Screening Mammography

Screening Mammography Should not Be Practiced on Women Age 40-49
McCall C.
Utah Valley University
Course: Online English 2020
Instructor: Dr. Robert Crane

Abstract Screening mammography is currently the most widely accepted system for diagnosing breast cancer in the United States. This report analyzes the effectiveness and safety of screening mammography, specifically in women age 40-49. Even though screening mammography is a popular procedure, there are many dangerous side effects including an increased risk of developing breast cancer due to radiation exposure, high number of inaccuracies, and over-diagnosis. This report concludes that the benefits of screening mammography do not outweigh the risks for women age 40-49, and the NCI and ACS guidelines should be strengthened to discourage this age group from submitting to screening.

Table of Contents
List of Illustrationsiii
Glossary Termsiv
General Informationv
Thesis Statementv
Report Audiencev
Authors Purposev
Argumentative Requirement Fulfillment Statementv
Introduction1
Current Recommendations3
Increased Breast Cancer Risk4
Background and Overview of Screening Mammography4
Film Mammography5
Digital Mammography5
Additional Screening Methods6
Balacing Risks vs. Life-Saving Benefit7
Negligible Risks Claim7
Refutation of Negligible Risks Claim8
Decreased Mortality Claim9
Refutation of Decreased Mortality Claim9
Conclusion12
References15

List of Illustrations

Figure 1. Diagram of Breast……………………………………………………………………….2

Figure 2. Film vs. Digital Mammogram…………………………………………………………..6

Glossary of Terms ACS | American Cancer Society | Aneuploidy | Having an incomplete chromosome set. | BSE | Breast Self Examination | Benign | A lump or mass that is not considered cancerous, grows at a slow rate, or poses little to no threat to health | BI-RADS | Breast Image Reporting and Data System: A comprehensive system for classifying breast cancer, including treatment systems.

References: Broderson, J., & Siersma, V. (2013). Long-term psychosocial consequences of false-positive screening mammography. Annals of Family Medicine, 11(2), 106-115. doi:10.1370/afm.1466 Dershaw, D Harding, A. (2011, October). Mammograms only occasionally save lives, analysis finds. Time Magazine. Retrieved from http://healthland.time.com/ Hendrick, R., & Helvie, M Nelson, H. D., Tyne, K., Naik, A., Bougatsos, C., Chan, B. K., & Humphrey, L. (2009). Screening for breast cancer: An update for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Annals of Internal Medicine, 151(10), 727-W.242. National Institute of Health (1997). Breast cancer screening for women ages 40-49. NIH Consensus Statement, 15(1), 1-35. Retrieved from http://consensus.nih.gov/1997/1997BreastCancerScreening103html.htm Panetta, P., & Wennet, J Reynolds, A. (2012). Mammography and litigation. Radiologic Technology, 83(5), 467M-492. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Cancer Institute. (2012). What you need to know about breast cancer. (NIH Publication No. 12-1556). Retrieved from http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/wyntk/breast