KFVS12 News & Weather Cape Girardeau, Carbondale, Poplar BluffLocal doctor weighs in on mammogram screening debate

Local doctor weighs in on mammogram screening debate

By Kathy Sweeney - bio | email

CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO (KFVS) - One this Friday in Cape Girardeau, an estimated 120 women including me will get a mammogram.  At 43, I have questions about those new task force guidelines.

Dr. John Moll is a general surgeon at the Breast Care and Diagnostic Center.

"What the task force didn't say was that mammograms were useless in the 40-49 age group," Dr. Moll said. "What they said was the yield is lower in that group as compared to older women. That's nothing new. That's information we already knew. Although now they've come out and said, well we therefore think mammograms in that group is not useful."

The recommendations leave women my age wondering, do we need to go through a mammogram once a year?

Dr. Moll says, yes.

"The strongest response I have to that is simply the hundreds upon hundreds of women that we see yearly in follow up who were diagnosed in their 40s and their diagnosis was made solely on mammogram," Dr. Moll said.

Dr. Moll says his greatest concern comes with the cost of the procedure.  He fears insurance companies may try to use the recommendations as a reason not to cover the estimated $400 to $500 cost of a mammogram.  He's also worried that the task force does not recommend mammograms for women over the age of 75.  Dr. Moll says there's a misconception about breast cancer risk diminishing with age, which it does not.

"I think we've got a very educated population. I think most women are going to take the recommendation under consideration, but continue to make their decisions based on their own information and discussions with their health care provider."

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