Also, the high-risk women exposed to radiation before age 20 or who had at least five x-rays were 2 1/2 times more likely to develop breast cancer. They say high-risk women under the age of 30 may want to consider switching to an alternative screening method.
"High-risk women should weigh benefits and risks together with their doctors and come together to get a good screening strategy, and keeping in mind that there is possibility of using alternative techniques at younger ages like MRI," said Marijke Jansen-van der Weide, PhD, Univ. Medical Ctr. Groningen.
This study was presented in Chicago at a meeting of the Radiological Society of North America.
Again, the finding only applies to high-risk women and not those of average risk for breast cancer. But this study could add fuel to the debate about the value of yearly mammograms.
