Allina Hospitals & Clinics statement on mammography screening
MINNEAPOLIS 11/18/2009--Last week the United States Preventive Services Task Force issued new guidelines on mammography screening. The task force went against prevailing practice, suggesting that annual mammograms for women between the ages of 40 and 50 may not be necessary.
Timothy Sielaff, MD, president, Virginia Piper Cancer Institute, Allina Hospitals & Clinics
This announcement has proven to be controversial and caused some confusion and apprehension among Allina patients and the broader public.
After the announcement last week, a team of Allina physicians and other caregivers representing the Virginia Piper Cancer Institute and its Piper Breast Center, as well as clinicians from Allina Medical Clinic, met to discuss these new recommendations and to decide whether they warrant changing current Allina practice, which is to recommend annual mammograms for women 40 and older, consistent with American Cancer Society recommendations.
Dr. Timothy Sielaff, president of Allina's Virginia Piper Cancer Institute, released the following statement on behalf of Allina Hospitals & Clinics.
The USPSTF is one of several different groups offering screening mammography recommendations. Other groups that we respect, including the American Cancer Society, continue to support the existing evidence-based recommendations. Therefore, within the Allina breast programs, we are not changing our practices at this time which is to recommend annual mammograms for women 40 and older. Allina will continue to review its recommendation to patients as new evidence becomes available.
About Allina Hospitals & Clinics
Allina Hospitals & Clinics is a not-for-profit system of hospitals, clinics and other health care services, providing care throughout Minnesota and western Wisconsin. Allina owns and operates 11 hospitals, more than 90 clinics, and health care services, including home care, hospice and palliative care, oxygen and medical equipment, pharmacies and emergency medical transportation. More about Allina and the latest health information can be found online at www.allina.com.
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Related Links
Breast care services
Breast cancer prevention and detection
Virginia Piper Cancer Institute
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