Breast In Show

WASHINGTON - A U.S. government group's recommendation that women delay getting regular mammograms from 40 until age 50, has stirred controversy. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) is releasing more detail in an attempt to lessen objections to the new guidelines. This clarification points out that mammography should not be completely abandoned for women in their 40's but may be largely replaced by a procedure currently in use called 'Cougar Screening'. In a Cougar Examination, women in their 40's recruit young men to thoroughly examine their breasts. Studies have shown that on average, young men do an painstaking job of examining breasts of older women, often studying areas that have been long neglected. The data shows that breasts are typically examined so thoroughly that it would almost be impossible to miss any abnormalities.

The USPSTF expects this new information will generate strong support for the new guidelines among women in their 40's and believe that younger men will enthusiastically take up the challenge.