‘Tests Pose Extra Cancer Risk’
Reported January 28, 2009
Women carrying a breast cancer gene may be at even greater risk of the disease if they have early mammograms, scientists have said.
Starting screenings young had been seen as vital for women who have the potentially deadly BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene.
But scientists have found the risk of radiation-induced breast cancer may outweigh the benefits of having mammograms for younger gene carriers.
Women who had five mammograms between the ages of 24 and 29 had an additional 26 breast cancers per 10,000 women due to the radiation, research by the John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore suggests.
In the UK, most women do not undergo mammograms until their 50s or older, but women under 30 who have the gene have been encouraged to start younger.
Having one of the faulty genes increases the risk of developing the disease to between 50 and 85%, according to the NHS.
The World Health Organisation cancer research agency found screenings do lower mortality: for every 500 women screened, one life will be saved.
Baltimore researcher Amy Berrington de Gonzalez said: “In the absence of direct empirical data, our estimates can be used by those involved in the decision-making process for BRCA mutation carriers to assess whether the benefits from early mammographic screening are likely to outweigh the radiation risks.”