The Sarah Cannon Cancer Center at Skyline Weighs In On New Mammography Guidelines

Nashville, TN—November 18, 2009—The Sarah Cannon Cancer Center at Skyline Medical Center today announced that it will continue to support and recommend that its patients follow guidelines for the early detection of breast cancer established by the American Cancer Society.  The announcement comes on the heels of a new study released this week by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommending that women can wait until age 50 for their first mammogram and they only need to get the exams every two years.

“Between 15 to 20 percent of all patients diagnosed with breast cancer are under the age of 50, and mammography contributes in large part to the early detection of the disease when it is most treatable,” said Gregory Neal, M.D., surgeon with The Surgical Clinic and The Sarah Cannon Cancer Center at Skyline Medical Center.  “When breast cancer is diagnosed at later stages, patients typically have higher risks of recurrence and breast cancer deaths.”

The government-funded panel (USPSTF) of doctors and scientists concluded that getting screened for breast cancer so early and so often leads to too many false alarms and unneeded biopsies without substantially improving a woman’s odds of survival. Additionally, the panel found no benefit in women performing self-breast examinations and suggests the practice not be recommended.

Dr. Neal says he strongly recommends that patients perform self-breast exams and get annual mammography screening after age 40 because mammography has been responsible for increasing the findings of ductal carcinoma in-situ (DCIS) from 3 percent to 21 percent currently, and has increased the detection of early stage breast cancer from 25 percent to 42 percent.   “And, you certainly can’t deny the significance of declining mortality rates from breast cancer within the last 5 years due to screening mammography—39 percent less mortality than prior to 5 years ago.”

He says it is important for women to talk with their health care provider about their individual risks for breast cancer and for them to be an active and informed partner in their healthcare.  “Although mammography does produce some false positive results, it is currently the best tool we have in our arsenal for early detection of breast cancer.”

The Sarah Cannon Cancer Centers will continue to educate their patients and recommend they follow the American Cancer Society guidelines which include:

• Routine breast self-examination so that women can become familiar with their own breasts and tell their doctor about any changes
• Annual screening mammogram beginning at age 40, and
• Clinical breast exams performed by a health care provider and recommended annually after age 40.

The Sarah Cannon Cancer Center (SCCC)
The Sarah Cannon Cancer Center (SCCC) is the largest community-based, privately funded, diagnostic and treatment center in the country. A network of 8 affiliated medical facilities in Tennessee and south Central Kentucky, SCCC is composed of physicians and teams who provide diagnosis and treatment for cancer patients throughout the region, allowing patients treatment and medical care in a community setting close to home.  Through the work of The Sarah Cannon Cancer Center and its network of more than 100 cancer experts in 2 states, more patients are benefiting from life-saving cancer diagnosis and treatment.

Sarah Cannon Research Institute (SCRI)
SCRI, an industry leader in clinical trials, is dedicated to advancing therapies for patients. It is the largest community-based program in the nation, conducting studies in ten therapeutic areas through its affiliation with a powerful network of hundreds of physicians. Additionally, it offers management, regulatory and other research support services to drug development sponsors and strategic investigator sites across the country.

For more information or to schedule an appointment with SCCC or SCRI, please contact TriStar MedLine at 615-342-1919.