Newswise — CHICAGO (August 14, 2014)—To sort out the competing narratives of mammographic screening, the latest episode of The Recovery Room Show features two leading experts in the field. Host Dr. Rick Greene addresses mammography-related issues in the episode, such as the role of insurance companies, MRIs, and a high-profile recent Canadian study that cast doubt on the effectiveness of mammograms.
“I have recommended the American Cancer Society standards, which is annual mammography after age 40, and I believe that identifies the women who develop breast cancer at the earliest stage and affords them the best treatment,” said one of the guests, Cary Kaufman, MD, FACS, Chairman of the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers and medical director of the Bellingham Regional Breast Center, Bellingham, WA.
Although Dr. Kaufman and many others endorse the standards set forth by the American Cancer Society, some still have concerns about mammographic screening, such as the risk involved with frequent exposure to radiation. To address this, guest Carl D’Orsi, MD, director of breast imaging research and professor of radiology, oncology and hematology at Emory University, Atlanta, GA, said, “There really isn’t a substantial risk [to radiation]…the benefit to risk ratio regarding radiation is about five to one; the benefit is five times the risk of developing a cancer.”
Mammography has been used as a diagnostic tool for the last 50 years or so, and has consistently remained a medical news topic. To learn more, listen to the latest episode of The Recovery Room Show, available now.
The episode is available at: www.facs.org/recoveryroom/
The Recovery Room Show host Frederick (Rick) L. Greene, MD, FACS, is a surgical oncologist and Fellow of the American College of Surgeons (FACS) who has been involved in organizational work focused on cancer for several years. The show is produced by Tena Simmons and Jim Losby provides technical website support.
Current and past episodes can be downloaded at no charge through the College’s website. Support for the episode was provided by the American College of Surgeons.
# # #
About the American College of SurgeonsThe American College of Surgeons is a scientific and educational organization of surgeons that was founded in 1913 to raise the standards of surgical practice and improve the quality of care for surgical patients. The College is dedicated to the ethical and competent practice of surgery. Its achievements have significantly influenced the course of scientific surgery in America and have established it as an important advocate for all surgical patients. The College has more than 79,000 members and is the largest organization of surgeons in the world. For more information, visit www.facs.org (.)