October is Breast Cancer Awareness month therefore, we will be doing a breast cancer related series of articles all month. If there are any breast cancer related topics you’d like us to discuss, let us know.

Screening mammography is a type of x-ray that looks at the breasts allowing physicians to look for areas of abnormal calcifications.  These areas of calcification can be early evidence of breast cancer.  Recently, there has been considerable controversy with regards to when women should begin screening mammograms.  The highly respected American Cancer Society (ACS), American College of Radiology (ACR),  and National Cancer Institute (NCI) all recommend early screening at age 40 and then yearly after that.

However, the U.S. Preventative Service Task Force recently published a recommendation saying that “routine” screening mammography could begin at age 50 and women in their 40’s can make an “individual decision”  as to when to begin mammograms.  Unfortunately, every year I see numerous women from the Tampa Bay Florida area that are in their 20s and 30s for breast cancer reconstruction.

I have evaluated the data and after consideration of the age of patients in my plastic surgery practice that present with breast cancer I continue to agree with the Mayo Clinic, ACR, ACS, and NCI’s recommendation.  I recommend women 40 years of age or older to perform monthly self breast exams, receive yearly breast exams by a physician, and a yearly screening mammography.  It is my belief that this is the safest and least controversial set of recommendations for my Tampa area breast plastic surgery patients.