More and more physicians now agree – women should start screening for breast cancer starting at age 40. In an effort to catch more cancer cases emerging in younger women, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force announced earlier this year its recommendation that women should get regular mammograms starting at age 40, joining a growing medical community consensus advocating for earlier screening.
And as Breast Cancer Awareness Month moves on through the month of October, local doctors are adding their voices to the chorus and stressing the importance of getting routine mammograms.
Recommendations for when to start looking for breast cancer have been evolving in recent years. In the past, women were advised to start at age 50, but a rising incidence of cases in younger women has caused medical professionals to reevaluate their position, and the suggested screening age has fallen over time. It now is at age 40.
Breast cancer is the second-most common type of cancer in the U.S. after skin cancer, accounting for about 30% of all new cancer cases according to the American Cancer Society. Around 367,000 Americans are expected to be diagnosed with breast cancer this year alone.
Breast cancer remains the second leading cause of cancer death for women, although death rates have been in steady decline for decades due to increased screening, greater awareness and improved treatments.
Like all cancers, early detection is critical to improving outcomes. Five-year survival rates for localized breast cancers – cancer that hasn’t spread to other parts of the body – are 99%, according to the American Cancer Society, and early and regular mammograms are more likely to catch a cancerous growth before it spreads throughout the body.
While chemotherapy and radiation treatments are more likely to depend on the type of cancer and tumor, earlier detection of smaller masses can give women more flexibility in choosing their surgical treatment. Lumpectomies, where surgeons target the abnormal mass but aim to save as much healthy tissue as possible, are not always an option for larger tumors, so early detection can help patients maintain more of their natural breast, Hardley said.
Mammograms take X-ray images of a woman’s breasts, allowing for an inside view of the tissue. During the procedure, the breast is held in place with plates while the X-ray is taken. Afterward, a radiologist reviews the images to check for any abnormalities and, if found, recommends follow-up testing.
Brittany Schreiber, lead mammography technologist at the Parkview Packnett Family Cancer Institute mammography department, said getting a screening has become quicker and easier over time. An appointment usually takes about 30 minutes to complete, Schreiber said, and although many patients are concerned about pain during the procedure, better imaging devices have helped to reduce discomfort.
“We do compress the breast and that’s the one big fear of a mammogram is that it can be painful,” Schreiber said. “Over the years things have gotten a lot better. Mammograms aren’t as painful as they used to be because our technology has improved, and we don’t need to compress the breast as much.”
Women may develop other types of benign growths within their breast tissue such as cysts or fibroadenomas. Regular mammograms can help doctors differentiate between benign or cancerous growths and create a historical record to allow for monitoring of changes over time.
Indiana reported 921 breast cancer deaths in 2022, the latest year of data available through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and it was within the 15 worst states for breast cancer death rate at 20.4 per 100,000.
However, decades of research, new treatments, new technology and increased awareness have greatly improved breast cancer outcomes. Since 1989, the breast cancer death rate has dropped by 42% and the five-year survival rate has improved to 91%, according to the American Cancer Society.
Not only have treatments improved, but prevention has improved too, Yahanda said. The cancer institute hosts a Cancer Risk Reduction and Genetics Clinic where patients with a history of breast cancer can be evaluated and have their risk for cancer assessed. If appropriate, the institute also offers genetic testing to look for markers that might make them more likely to develop cancer.
Parkview offers mammography services through the Breast Diagnostic Centers located near Parkview Regional Medical Center and Parkview Hospital Randallia in Fort Wayne, as well as the new Parkview Southwest Outpatient Center. Patients can also schedule mammograms with the Francine’s Friends Mobile Mammography unit at 260-483-1847.
