MAMMOGRAM DOUBTS COULD ALTER GUIDELINES

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, February 27, 1993                   TAG: 9302270042
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: WASHINGTON                                LENGTH: Medium
MAMMOGRAM DOUBTS COULD ALTER GUIDELINES
Guidelines for breast cancer screening could be changed by some medical organizations once they fully analyze new studies showing that mammograms may provide little benefit for women before age 50, officials said Friday.
The new data is being examined closely by such organizations as the National Cancer Institute, the American Cancer Society, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American College of Physicians.
Dr. Gerald P. Murphy, chief medical officer at the American Cancer Society, said, "Not all of the information has been evaluated, and there are no conclusions that can be made on this as yet."
Both the society and the National Cancer Institute recommend that women start receiving mammograms, X-rays that screen for breast cancer, every year or two after age 40.
But at least one group, the American College of Physicians, decided as long ago as 1989 to recommend starting routine mammograms at age 50.
A study published Thursday in the Online Journal of Current Clinical Trials concluded that mammography screening for breast cancer offers no long-term survival benefit for women under 40, but the test does save lives among women age 50 and older.
"This review has demonstrated that there is no clear benefit seen for screening in younger women, providing a strong argument that screening should not be offered to such women," the study said.
The study's conclusion is based on analysis of six earlier studies in medical journals. The studies followed thousands of women for years and compared the survival rates of those who received mammograms and those who did not.
Just why younger women benefit less from mammograms is not clear, the study said.

by Archana Subramaniam by CNB