Screening mammograms are recommended for early detection of breast cancer. However, according to new research presented at the Radiological Society of North America 95^Th Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, the low doses of radiation associated with mammograms might actually place high-risk women at an increased risk for breast cancer.

Researchers from the University Medical Center Groningen in the Netherlands reported that annual screening mammograms could increase breast cancer risk among high-risk women, especially if they start getting mammograms at a young age or have frequent radiation exposure. The researchers performed a meta-analysis of 6 studies and found that women with breast cancer gene mutations or a family history of breast cancer who were exposed to radiation, either from mammograms or chest x-rays, before the age of 20 had a 2.5 times higher risk for breast cancer than their peers. They also found that high-risk women who had 5 or more mammograms were also in more jeopardy of developing breast cancer. But, since these results were based on just 6 studies, additional research is needed to better understand this increased risk.

Based on their findings, the researchers suggest that younger, high-risk women should be careful about mammograms and should, perhaps, consider alternative screening methods for breast cancer. One alternative would be magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); however, this screening method is more expensive, takes more time, and is associated with more false-positives, which could lead to unnecessary interventions or anxiety. Keep in mind the screening mammograms don’t seem to pose the same problem for high-risk women aged 30 and older.

Source:

Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) 95th Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting: Abstract RO22-04. Presented November 30, 2009.

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