JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Let's dispel a myth. Some women are being told they're too old to get a mammogram.
According to a Mayo Clinic doctor, that's not true.
"There is no upper age limit to when screening mammograms should end," said Mayo Clinic Radiologist Dr. Kristin Robinson
Dr. Robinson says Mayo Clinic and the American College of Radiology follow certain guidelines.
Annual mammograms are recommended when:
- A woman's life expectancy is more than five to seven years
- She's in good, overall health
- She has the desire to treat breast cancer if something is found
Dr. Robinson is passionate about this topic because she is a researcher, and, as a radiologist, she spends every day of her career helping women catch breast cancer as early as possible.
And there's a personal reason. Her own grandmother is 85 years old now, and Dr. Robinson says some family members are saying that she is getting up there and years and doesn't need screenings any more.
Dr. Robinson says that not true. She plans to tell her, "Grandma, you're healthy as a rock. I think you should keep having mammograms." Dr. Robinson says there's so much for her to live for, including the joy of being a grandmother.
