Researchers recruited 1,993 women with BRCA 1 or 2 and asked them to report how much chest radiation (such as X-Rays and mammograms) they had been exposed to from adolescence onward. They found that women exposed to chest radiation in their 20s increased their risk of breast cancer by 43 percent compared to those who didn’t undergo any radiative procedures. The risk didn’t hold up for women over the age of 30 who’d been exposed to radiation. More from Prevention: As it stands, The American Cancer Society advises women with the genetic mutations to undergo annual mammograms starting at age 30. Other women, often those whose family members developed breast or ovarian cancer at a young age, start the screenings even earlier. “There is no doubt that this study will raise new questions for younger women and their doctors,” says Len Lichtenfeld, MD, the deputy chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society. “It does make the decision about mammography more difficult.” So what should you do? The study authors recommend that young women consider MRI scans, which don’t rely on radiation, instead of mammograms. Unfortunately, MRI tests are expensive and more difficult to access. They’re also marred by more “false positives,” according to Dr. Lichtenfeld, than mammograms. In other words, younger women at an increased risk of breast cancer still don’t have any easy answers. Their best option, says Dr. Lichtenfeld, is to take into consideration their history of chest X-rays and other radiation and work closely with a physician they trust. “It’s difficult enough for young women facing this burden,” he says. “What to do with this new information? Unfortunately, we still don’t have a solution to that question.” Follow her on Twitter: @katiedrumm Send news tips and positive vibes to: Katie.Drummond@rodale.com
