The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force didn’t make any friends in December. In fact, there are charges that the task force’s findings may actually cause serious harm and keep some women with breast cancer from detecting it early enough to take the kinds of steps necessary to minimize the long-term damage that breast cancer can cause.

The newest guidelines released change the recommendation that mammograms begin at the age of 40. The new recommendation is that recommended mammograms should start at the age of 50. This is especially disconcerting because some medical insurance companies may choose whether or not to offer payment for this kind of testing based on these recommendations.

Various groups, from the experts at the American College of Radiology to The American Cancer Society have raised objections to the new guidelines. The ACR’s statement suggests that the changes “will result in countless unnecessary breast cancer deaths each year,” and suggests that the real reason for the change is cost savings rather than health concern. The American Cancer Society released a statement in support of the older recommendation, suggesting that the Task Force didn’t have access to all of the available research data.

The good news for most women is that, even if medical insurance companies choose to follow these new guidelines, there are usually ways around it. In many cases, a woman and her physician can decide to petition the insurance company to allow the test, especially if the woman has significant risk factors for breast cancer.

Some physicians are divided on the question. There are those that believe that the findings by the Task Force may indeed be economically motivated, but there are those that feel that women can safely wait until the age of 50 to have regular mammograms. Other physicians will certainly continue to recommend an annual mammogram for women over the age of 40.

If women are confused about whether or not they should get a mammogram, the Task Force or some other organization isn’t the best source to listen to. A frank discussion with their doctor about the various symptoms and risk factors associated with breast cancer can really help to put things in line and help a woman decide if she should wait to start having regular mammograms.

One website has even begun a petition designed to encourage government agencies as well as medical institutions to preserve the over-40 guidelines. The petition is being sent to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the World Health Organization, the American Cancer Society and many other relevant bodies.

Photo via Evil Erin