Do you agree with new breast cancer screening guidelines?

Updated guidelines suggest routine mammography has no significant benefit for women aged 40 to 49. (iStock)Leading breast cancer experts in Canada appear divided over updated guidelines recommending less screening for breast cancer in women under 74.

The guidelines, released Monday by the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care, say clinical breast exams are no longer routinely recommended for women at average risk of breast cancer.

The task force's analysis also found routine mammography, self-examinations and MRIs had no significant benefit for women aged 40 to 49.

Dr. Marcello Tonelli, chair of the task force, said the new guidelines will allow "each woman to make a decision that's right for her" rather than follow "a one-size-fits-all recommendation for women based on their age."

The College of Family Physicians of Canada and Canadian Cancer Society endorse the guidelines.

But the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation and University of Toronto professor Martin Yaffe do not.

"If followed, they will result in over 2,000 breast cancer related deaths that could be avoided by screening in Canadian women over 10 years," said Yaffe, a professor in the departments of medial biophysics and medical imaging.

What do you make of the new guidelines? How comfortable are you with the idea of doing less screening for breast cancer? Share your thoughts and experiences in the field below.


(This survey is not scientific. Results are based on readers' responses.)