Just a week after learning that women don't need to begin having regular mammograms until age 50, a new study reports that mammography may increase the risk of breast cancer in certain women who are already at high risk for developing breast cancer.

This news comes from Dutch researchers who analyzed six studies. Four of these studies examined the effect of low-dose radiation in women who were identified to have the genetic mutation that increases breast cancer risk. The remaining two studies examined the effect of radiation exposure in women who had a family history of breast cancer.

Researchers found that women who were exposed to radiation before the age of 20 had an increased risk of breast cancer of 2.5 times. The researchers also find the same increased risk for breast cancer in women exposed five or more times to radiation. Factors that played a role in the research, included age at onset of menstruation,  age, and whether the women breastfed their babies.

With research such as this and other studies, it doesn't make much sense that the US Preventive Services Task Force told women and their doctors that mammography is not necessary until age 50. The good news for women is that while the USPSTF wants to raise  the age when regular mammograms start, the American Cancer Society does not agree and still advises women to begin having yearly mammograms at age 40. According to the ACS, women at high risk for developing breast should have a mammogram and MRI annually.

Finally, the Dutch researchers say that women participating in these studies had increased their risk of breast cancer 1.5 times that of women who did not participate. Hopefully, that dreary statistic will not cause women to participate in other studies about women's health issues.

What do you think about these recent news events about breast cancer and mammography? Will this news affect your decision to have regular mammograms? For me, it's good to know that doctors in the Dallas area don't plan to make any changes to mammography frequency.

Breast Cancer Risk May Be Higher For Women Already At High Risk Who Have Mammograms originally appeared on About.com Women's Health on Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009 at 20:52:11.

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