THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, October 21, 1994 TAG: 9410210825
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A19 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: LOS ANGELES TIMES
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Medium: 82 lines
Federal health officials have released new guidelines governing mammography screening for breast cancer, to enhance its effectiveness and reduce the anxiety often suffered by women who have the procedure.
One recommendation, for example, is that mammography facilities ensure that women receive the results of their screening within 10 days.
Many women never get results or receive them late because of ``communications breakdowns or confusion as to who will deliver the results,'' Health and Human Services Secretary Donna E. Shalala said at a news conference Wednesday.
``Such errors are unacceptable,'' and can cause treatment delays when cancer is present, or undue worry over what turns out to be a normal reading, she said.
``It had never been clear whether mammography facilities or referring health care providers were responsible for telling women their results. Now it is,'' said Dr. Lawrence W. Bassett, Iris Cantor professor of breast imaging at the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Medicine, who chaired the panel of outside experts who compiled the recommendations.
The guidelines recommend ``that facilities notify women of their results, and also make sure they are referred to a primary care provider for follow-up if they have come into the facility without one,'' he said. ``Closing the communication loop between referring health care providers, women and facilities only makes sense.''
The recommendations also urge women to refuse screening by any facility that has not been certified by the Food and Drug Administration. Each facility should display prominently - or have available - an FDA certificate.
Quality standards for mammography were required by a law passed by Congress in 1992, and the deadline for certification was Oct. 1. Facilities lacking such certification are operating illegally.
The recommendations do not address how often and at what age women should undergo the procedure. In recent years, a debate has erupted over the effectiveness of mammograms in reducing the death rate from breast cancer in women between the ages of 40 and 49.
Nevertheless, most medical experts continue to believe that women aged 40 to 49 should have the procedure every one to two years, and - since the risk increases with age - annually after the age of 50.
There will be an estimated 182,000 new cases of breast cancer in American women this year, and 46,000 deaths. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in women.
Experts have estimated that regular mammograms - which can detect tumors years before they can be felt - could reduce breast cancer deaths by one-third. Nevertheless, a majority of American women fail to undergo regular screening, according to the American Cancer Society.
The average cost of a mammogram is $89. ILLUSTRATION: Graphics
ADVICE ON GETTING A MAMMOGRAM
Use only FDA-certified centers; if a center can't produce its
certification, leave.
Schedule an appointment at a time in your menstrual cycle when
breasts aren't tender, so the technician can apply proper pressure.
Don't use deodorant, lotions or powders that day; they can block
the picture.
Provide your address and phone number as well as your doctor's so
both of you can be told the results.
Find out whom to call if you don't receive results.
Never assume the mammogram is normal just because you don't
receive the results; call the center or your doctor and demand the
information if you don't hear from anyone within 10 days.
COPY OF GUIDE
To get a copy of the guide, write to:
AHCPR Publications Clearinghouse
P.O. Box 8547
Silver Spring, Md. 20907
Or call, toll-free, 1-800-358-9295 weekdays.
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
by CNB