MORGANTOWN -- One week ago, a government task force released a report saying women in their 40s should forgo screening mammograms, waiting until age 50.
The report has been met with harsh criticism and opposition nationwide and right here in our backyard.
"I feel like like were taking a huge step back, It took us a lot of fight to recommend mammograms for those women older than 40," said Gina Stewart, a breast cancer survivor.
Thanks to a routine mammogram, she's now a cancer survivor, but is troubled about the new guidelines.
"It scares me that they're raising it rather than lowering it, because we're going to be missing some patients" said Stewart
In West Virginia, as many as one-fourth of women older than 40 have not had a mammogram in the past two years.
"Early detection is the foundation of cancer treatment" said Dr. Jame Abarham, Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center Oncology director.
Higher stages of cancer could be troubling for a cancer that already kills more in several West Virginia counties than the national average.
"Early stages can be cured, but once it's a higher stage cancer, it spreads to other parts of the body," said Abarham.
With health care reform looming, many are worried insurance companies may not cover routine mammograms for women under 50.
WVU hospitals announced it will reimburse insurance companies for those under 50 who continue to get mammograms.
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