The time and the money spent on social programs encouraging women in their 40s to get mammograms would be better spent on women in their 50s, because they are the group that is more likely to benefit. The time and the money would be better spent on improving methods of detecting early invasive cancer. The risks of over-treatment and emotional distress outweigh the small benefit to the overall survival rate. If a mammogram results in a false negative, a woman could be lulled into a false sense of security, leading her to slack off in her self-examinations. If the mammogram results in a false positive, doctors might be lead to perform unecessary biopsies.
Biopsies have the potential for scarring, which decreases the future ability to detect cancer.
Women are strongly recommended to speak with their doctors about whether or not to get a mammogram. A Memoir of Illness and proponent of mammograms for women in their 40s. The Mammogram War. February 24, 1997. Love, Susan M. Dr. Susan Love's Breast Book, Second Edition.