Report: Women under 50 should get mammograms

BOSTON (MyFoxBoston.com) – A new study by the Harvard Medical School contradicts a government recommendation about mammograms for women under 50.

Researchers at Harvard Medical School looked at the records of 609 women who died from breast cancer. Of those, 71 percent did not receive screening and half died before the age of 50.

The researchers say that breast cancer tends to be more aggressive in younger women and suggest mammograms for women under 50.

In 2009, the United States Preventative Services Task Force proposed stopping breast cancer screenings for women under 50. Critics said the recommendation only benefited insurance companies who wouldn't have to pay for the screenings for women under a certain age.

Others argue that screenings only work for slow-growing tumors and that it doesn't necessarily mean that the lives of younger patients would be saved.

Medical experts recommend that women talk to their doctors about their health history and when their screenings should begin.

Cox Media Group