ORLANDO, Fla. — The American Cancer Society has updated its official recommendations when it comes to mammograms, but not everyone is happy about the new guidelines.
In a special communication published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the American Cancer Society recommends women with average risk begin getting mammograms at age 45. The previous recommendation was age 40.
"I was diagnosed in July, right before my 41st birthday," said Campbell. I don't have a family history, there's no genetics saying I would get cancer. I just did it because I was 40. If I would've waited until I was 45, I could've been stage 3, stage 4."
In addition, the American Cancer Society recommends that women age 55 and over can opt out of annual mammograms and instead adopt a biennial schedule.
According to the guidelines, women should continue getting mammograms as long as they have a life expectancy of 10 years or longer.
Manual breast exams performed by doctors are also no longer recommended.
The new guidelines add to the confusion women face when it comes to mammogram recommendations.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends women begin getting mammograms every other year until age 74.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that women begin getting mammograms at age 40.
The American Cancer Society points to the risk of false positives and unnecessary treatment as a reason for its decision to move the recommended mammogram start age from 40 to 45.
"We're very frustrated about it," Dr. Susan Curry of the Women's Center for Radiology. "The fear among all the doctors who do mammography is that there will be a delay in diagnosis and treatment and there will be increased deaths in breast cancer."
Curry said she also fears it will impact access to mammograms.
"Insurance companies will use it as a reason for not allowing mammography or not paying for it," said Curry.
Curry said she will not adhere to the recommendations.
"This is women's lives they're talking about," Curry said.
Young breast cancer survivors claim they would be dead if they had waited to get mammograms.
Women should talk to their doctors about their risk for breast cancer and individualized mammogram screening recommendations.