Health: Study finds majority of women over 40 are skipping annual mammograms

WASHINGTON D.C., DC — A new MedStar Health national survey found 60 percent of women aged 40 and over are not getting their yearly mammogram. 

The American College of Radiology recommends an annual screening for women who are at average risk for breast cancer. Most women surveyed cited they skipped out on their mammograms because they had normal mammograms in the past. 

According to the survey, those statistics come despite 75 percent of women in the survey saying they are'somewhat' to'very concerned' about their breast health. Dr. Lucy De La Cruz, the Chief of the Breast Surgery Program at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, says keeping up with your annual exams can save lives. 

"I've had patients and friends who have been on the high-risk screening, and then we find something, but we're able to find it warily, and we're able to help them, save them, and give them a better outcome," said Dr. De La Cruz. 

According to the study, some women worry mammograms are painful, while others say the lack of insurance coverage is keeping them from getting a routine mammogram. 

“Just because a woman has had a normal mammogram in the past doesn’t mean she’s free and clear of the disease her entire life or is at lower risk of developing breast cancer,” said Michelle Townsend Day, MD, Chief of Breast Imaging and Chair of Radiology for MedStar Union Memorial and MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital. “It’s important to have regular screenings so we can compare images from year to year and look for changes that could indicate breast cancer. I also understand women are concerned that a mammogram is painful, but a mammogram only takes about 10 minutes and is much less painful than the course of breast cancer treatment.”

In September the Food and Drug Administration implemented new rules that require mammography facilities to notify patients if they have dense breast tissue, which is typically a factor that puts women at higher risk of breast cancer. There are different types of breast density, but health experts say it's important to communicate with your doctor to see if additional testing might be necessary. 

"If you do have that on your mammogram, you should definitely see a breast surgeon. We have a high-risk clinic here, and they see patients like that all the time. Then we can have a discussion and determine whether they need an MRI or not," said Dr. De La Cruz. 

The recent study also noted that 18 percent of women said they skipped their mammograms because they don't have any family history. Doctors say most breast cancers are diagnosed in people with no family history, so that should not be a reason to skip out on a mammogram. 

"I tell patients that having a cancer diagnosis is scary, but thankfully most women do well from surgery, they do well from treatment, and they survive," said Dr. De La Cruz.