As shown in SB's last issue, the treatment of breast cancer through mastectomy is very expensive. Because it is used in the disease's later stages, recurrence and survival are also significant posttreatment issues. Conventional wisdom, supported by current research, tells us that prevention is always preferable to treatment. In the case of breast cancer, mammography is the best available screening method. Recent clinical scientific consensus urges women 40-49 years to have mammography every 1-2 years; after age 50 it is recommended annually. The safety of mammography will be increased as a result of new accreditation procedures adopted recently by the American College of Radiology. As they become more widely used by mammographers and known by the public, further improvements in mammography utilization can be expected.
正如《科学美国人》上一期所示，通过乳房切除术治疗乳腺癌费用高昂。由于该方法用于疾病晚期，复发和生存也是治疗后的重大问题。当前研究支持的传统观点告诉我们，预防总是优于治疗。就乳腺癌而言，乳房X光检查是现有的最佳筛查方法。最近的临床科学共识敦促40至49岁的女性每1至2年进行一次乳房X光检查；50岁以后建议每年进行一次。美国放射学会最近采用的新认证程序将提高乳房X光检查的安全性。随着乳房X光检查被乳房造影技师更广泛地使用并为公众所熟知，可以预期乳房X光检查的利用率会进一步提高。
