Gate City Office

updated February, 2010

Should Women Get Mammograms Starting at 40 or 50?

Should Women Get Mammograms Starting at Age 40 or 50?

The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recently modified recommendations for breast cancer screening to getting mammograms every other year beginning at age 50. The American Cancer Society stands by its current recommendations to begin at age 40.

Both organizations agree that mammogram screening decreases deaths from breast cancer by about 15% in either age group. There are moderate risks to breast cancer screening, including cost, inconvenience, biopsies and surgeries along with any complications. (The risk from additional radiation to the breast is small by comparison).

Breast cancer is much more prevalent in women over 50 so that the numbers of deaths prevented are much higher in that group. Yet the deaths in the 40-50 year old group robbed those women of 10 more years of life than the over 50 group. Thus both authorities considered the risks vs the benefits of mammograms and came up with different conclusions.

We at Mountain Region Family Medicine in Gate City will follow the USPSTF's recommendation to actively encourage all women over 50 to have mammograms every two years. We think it is reasonable for women between 40 and 50 to have mammograms every two years and will schedule that for women who want it.

New H1N1 Flu Vaccine Availability

We DO recommend getting both the regular seasonal flu vaccines AND the New H1N1 2009 flu vaccines this year. The risks of side effects from the vaccines are less than the risks of not getting the vaccines in an epidemic of flu.

MRFM Gate City office has New H1N1 2009 nasal mist vaccines for healthy people ages 2-49. We also have New H1N1 shots for all people ages 6 months and up. We have enough vaccine now that we do not expect to run out this month.

High priority groups, i.e. pregnant women, children 6 months to 2 years, and people with chronic illnesses need the New H1N1 shots, not the mist. The mist is a live vaccine while the shots are killed vaccine.

We have run out of regular seasonal flu shots for this season. If you are at high risk, especially if you have chronic heart or lung disease or are over 65 years old and have not had the regular seasonal flu shot yet, please get one at the health department.