Hologic slips as panel recommends fewer mammograms

, AP ^ | Nov 17, 2009 | MARLEY SEAMAN

[george76]

Shares of digital mammogram system maker Hologic Inc. fell Tuesday after a government task force recommended that women wait longer before having mammograms, and have the breast examinations less often.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force said Monday that most women should wait until they turn 50 before having regular mammograms, rather than starting at 40, and suggested women have an examination every two years instead of once a year...

The task force also said the benefits of mammograms for women over 75 are unclear. It previously said those women should have a mammogram every year or two. The guidelines were a break with American Cancer Society recommendations, and one analyst said they could cut demand for mammograms by more than half.

Hologic said the new recommendations are not supported by solid medical evidence...

"Worst-case scenario assuming these two recommendations are taken at face value we could see mammographic procedure volumes reduced from current 37.2 million to 15.6 million" per year, a drop of 58 percent...

[massgopguy]

“We will tell people when to go to the doctor.” - Hillary Clinton in a Healthcare committee with Danny Hestert

[DPMD]

Three questions:

1. Are there any women on the panel?
2. At what age did they begin receiving exams?
3. How frequently do they receive their exams?

[no-llmd]

Even before Barry’s healthcare is implemented he is imposing the “death panels” upon us in the form of “breast panels”. What next from this guy.

[oldmomster]

Dems tell women: die quickly.

[n2dubes]

When the insurance companies are paying the bill the government MANDATES that they pay for mammograms. When the gov’t is getting ready to pay for them-the people don’t need them. Had this been an insurance sponsored study we would have never heard the end of it from the msm and the libs.