The following post was contributed by guest blogger Barbara Monsees, MD, chair of the American College of Radiology Breast Imaging Commission

In a recent op-ed, Daniel B. Kopans, MD, member of the American College of Radiology (ACR) Commission on Breast Imaging and the Society of Breast Imaging (SBI) Board of Directors, highlights anti-mammography bias among major scientific journals and its potential negative effect on mammography access. No question — articles confirming mammography effectiveness in major journals are scarce recently.

Maybe editors don’t consider articles reconfirming mammography’s lifesaving ability to be unusual or “sexy,” compared to those that contradict established guidelines.  It may be one of these biases that Dr. Kopans points to. Likely both.

The ACR and SBI, with the help of dedicated professionals like Dr. Kopans and others, work  to ensure that science forms the basis of proper  breast cancer screening  guidelines. These guidelines are used to establish  ACR/SBI policies and should be used to form those of government agencies and private insurers.

ACR continues to protect patient access to mammography and other breast imaging exams. By means of  breast imaging content  to be presented  at ACR 2015™ , the ACR Education Center, the ACR Daily News Scan, this blog, ACR advocacy in Action, plus other social media and  communications efforts, we continue to keep you aware of factors affecting your practice and your patients.

I invite you to support Dr. Kopans (and others), the ACR and our allies in this effort to ensure that your voices are heard in any discussion regarding breast imaging, medical imaging or radiation oncology. Together, we are making a difference.