Mammography tests now on wrong track.

• Position: YOUR LIFE - Brief article

Policymakers who establish health screening guidelines, such as mammograms for breast cancer, need to consider that it takes time for people to change their health behaviors, advises Jakob D. Jensen, whose research is funded by the American Cancer Society, Alexia, Ga. "People are not light switches. It takes a while to develop the habit to be screened annually, so we should be seeking opportunities to improve screening participation and techniques at younger ages rather than delaying it."

Jensen, who is studying how to increase mammography utilization, is referring to the recent U.S. Preventive Services Task Force report, which recommends that current mammogram screening guidelines should be pushed from age 40 to 50 for the average woman. The task force also suggests that screenings be conducted every other...