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A new international panel of breast cancer experts has agreed that mammograms are most effective in women in their 50’s and 60’s, Fox Health reports.
According to statistics by Susan G. Komen, 64% of Latina women have had a mammogram over the last two years, but still breast cancer continues to be the leading cause of cancer death among Latinas.
For years, experts have recommended women in their 40’s to have a yearly mammogram, but little evidence exists that these are effective before age 50, although some members of the panel disagreed that this is true for women 45 to 49.
“The cancer society soon will update its own guidance”, said its chief medical officer, Dr. Otis Brawley. “The international panel’s stance does demonstrate that there is legitimate scientific question about screening women in their 40s,” he said.
Panel members concluded that mammograms can significantly cut the risk of dying of breast cancer by about 40 percent in women 50-69.
By The Numbers
25.1
percent
of Latinos remain without health insurance coverage
