What is BCAMs policy on mammography?
Mammograms necessarily involve low-dose radiation and the effects are cumulative. Since radiation is a known cause of cancer, BCAM recommends that mammograms be kept to a minimum and advocates for the development of more effective, low-risk way of screening for breast cancer. Currently, the Canadian Cancer Society recommends mammography every two years for women aged 50 to 69. (In British Columbia, it is recommended starting at age 40.) It was long believed that cancers caught “early” (by mammography or by breast examination) were less likely to be fatal. It is now known that some cancers are more aggressive than others, and that the time of diagnosis or the size of the tumour may have little to do with long-term prospects. Moreover, thorough breast examinations (i.e., performed by a trained health professional and lasting up to ten minutes) have been demonstrated to be as effective as mammography. For all these reasons, BCAM believes that women should make their own decisions about re
