It’s official: Women Should Be Screened For Breast Cancer Starting at 40, Ten Years Earlier Than Previously Advised

Newswise — Women should begin getting regular mammograms to screen for breast cancer at age 40. That is official recommendations from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, finalizing a recommendation previously suggested last year. This is a significant change, shifting up the time they advise women to begin regular mammograms by ten years. The panel continues to recommend screening every two years for women at average risk of breast cancer, though many patients and providers prefer annual screening. Previously, the United States Preventive Services Task Force did not advise women to begin regular mammograms until age 50, advising women in their 40s who were concerned to talk to their doctor about the possible need for a mammogram. 

Now the US Preventive Services Task Force says the shift to regular mammograms at age 40 could save 19% more lives. Breast cancer makes up nearly 30% of new cancers in U.S. women each year, and it’s estimated that 1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer in the course of their lives. The median age for diagnosis across all women is 62, but that can vary by racial group.

Other organizations have long pushed for regular mammograms beginning at age 40 including, American College of Radiology, the American Society of Breast Surgeons, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. But the task force is the official body that many primary care doctors follow for preventive testing. The change comes as breast cancer rates among women in their 40s are on the rise, increasing by 2 percent a year between 2015 and 2019. Despite change in guidelines, Hackensack Meridian Health has long recommended patients begin yearly mammograms at age 40.

The new guidelines call for women in their 40s to get a mammogram every other year, hoping to prevent false positives. The group says false positives cause unnecessary anxiety and biopsy procedures. Still most breast surgeons and radiologists are calling for yearly mammograms for women in their 40s saying the benefits of finding possible cancers early outweigh the risks of false positives. 

Hackensack Meridian Health breast radiologists and surgeons are available for interviews to discuss the new proposed guidelines, and when patients should get mammograms.