Jessica Yellin Instagram – NEW MAMMOGRAM RULE, SAME MAMMOGRAM DISCOMFORT A US government panel today lowered the recommended age for patients to begin regular mammograms from 50 to 40. This will hopefully catch breast cancer earlier in more patients, though some doctors say the rule didn’t go far enough. While screening for breast cancer is critical, mammograms are frequently painful and many women report feeling that they are also demeaning. Not only that, mammograms are less effective for women with dense breast tissue (who are at higher risk for breast cancer) as the mammogram has a hard time “seeing through” this tissue to detect cancers. These women are often referred for additional screenings using ultrasound or MRI. This can require many expensive, painful, and disruptive follow-up appointments — which is not only an inconvenience that women are expected to accept but also extremely anxiety-inducing. To be clear, follow the guidance and get your mammograms. Breast cancer screening saves lives. We do, however, wonder why this technology still hasn’t changed. When there are so many breakthroughs in other categories of medicine — can’t they develop a new less uncomfortable, dehumanizing screening process? Anyone know what’s happening on this front or have thoughts?