New breast cancer advice kindles debate

Mammogram need at issue

By Carolyne Park

Sunday, November 22, 2009

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Dr. Steven E. Harms, a radiologist at The Breast Center of Northwest Arkansas who has performed thousands of mammography and MRI screenings over the years, does not agree with the notion that breast self-exams do a woman no good.

Dr. Steven E. Harms, a radiologist at The Breast Center of Northwest Arkansas who has performed thousands of mammography and MRI screenings over the years, does not agree with the notion that breast self-exams do a woman no good.
Photo by Michael Woods

New breast cancerscreening guidelines released by a federally appointed task force last week have sparked strong and often passionate criticism from breast cancer survivors, physicians and policymakers around the country, including in Arkansas.

The U.S. Preventative Services Task Force released a report Monday advising against routine mammograms for women between the ages of 40 and 49, instead favoring mammograms every two years for women between 50 and 74.

Some doctors in the state say those recommendations have caused confusion among patients and are raising fears that health insurers will pull coverage of annual mammograms.

“It created such a shock in the medical community and among patients,” said Dr. Issam Makhoul, a breast oncologist and associate professor at the University ...

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Northwest Arkansas, Pages 21 on 11/22/2009

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