Cancer Screenings Help Save Lives

Dr. Luz Venta
Breast radiologist
The Methodist Hospital

It’s no secret that cancer is unpredictable — it can develop slowly or rapidly, and in many cases unexpectedly. But finding cancerous changes early can aid doctors in curing or even preventing cancer. Since there may be no symptoms in early-stage cancer, screenings are the best way to detect it. Screenings, such as Pap tests and mammograms, play a vital role in preventing deaths from cervical and breast cancers.

Cervical cancer was once one of the most common causes of cancer death for American women prior to the mid-1950s. Since that time, the number of deaths has declined 74 percent, mainly due to early detection.*

The Pap test, or Pap smear as it is sometimes called, is the most effective means of detecting cervical cancer because it can find abnormal cells before they turn cancerous. It can also spot inflammation or infections that are not related to cancer.

Breast cancer screening also has saved many lives. Luz Venta, M.D., a radiologist and medical director of breast imaging at The Methodist Hospital, says that since the onset of annual screening mammography in the 1990s, the breast cancer mortality rate — which had been unchanged for the preceding 50 years — has decreased by 30 percent.

Guidelines Cut Back on Mammograms
Since the efficacy of these screenings is clear, a shock wave radiated through the medical community and women’s groups last fall when revised guidelines were released that recommended less frequent screenings for breast and cervical cancers. The guidelines were issued by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force for breast cancer and by the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) for cervical cancer.

“Like many women, I am angry at the panel’s suggested new guidelines for mammography,” Venta says. The new guidelines no longer recommend mammograms for women between the ages of 40 and 49 or those 75 and older.

Methodist’s breast care team focuses on the long-standing guidelines of recommending mammograms for women starting at age 40. “There are no perfect tests, and mammography has limitations. However, it is the best test we have for screening and early detection of breast cancer. We know that breast cancer screening, using mammography starting at age 40, saves lives.”

The team at Methodist sees about 500 breast cancer patients every year. Last year, 47 percent of them fell outside the panel’s guidelines — they were younger than 50 or older than 74. “This is a significant proportion of women with breast cancer, and we cannot afford to ignore the benefits of early diagnosis in 47 percent of our patients,” she says.

Guidelines Limit Pap Tests, Too
The new U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and ACOG guidelines call for women to wait until age 21 for their first Pap test (previously recommended three years after first sexual activity but no later than age 21), then have one every two years from ages 21 to 29 (instead of annually).

Raymond Kaufman, M.D., a Methodist gynecologist, doesn’t completely agree with all the new cervical cancer screening guidelines. “They may be reasonable for some women, but you really need to adapt a screening schedule to each patient’s circumstances,” he says. “A woman’s personal history, activities and lifestyle all play an important role in her risk for cervical cancer, and therefore, in how often she should get a Pap test.”

He also says that Pap tests will not detect 100 percent of cancers. “That’s one reason to screen more often. The chance of missing abnormal cells two years in a row is much smaller than with a single test,” he says.

NOW OPEN

2615 Southwest Freeway at Kirby Houston, TX 77098 713-441-PINK

An Ounce of Prevention Is Worth a Pound of Cure
Regular screenings — including pelvic exams and clinical breast exams in addition to Pap tests and mammograms — remain key in the fight against cancer. Talk to your doctor about what screenings you should have, and when.