Female patients should start having mammograms to detect breast cancer at age 40 and then get one every two years, a U.S. panel of experts recommended. Previously, the same panel advised that regular breast cancer screening should begin at age 50.
This new guidance was announced on Tuesday (May 9) in a draft recommendation statement (opens in a new tab) issued by the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). The task force is supported by the US Department of Health and Human Services, but operates independently and includes volunteer experts in primary care and prevention.
In the previous guide, aired in 2016 (opens in a new tab), the task force recommended biennial breast cancer screening for patients 50 to 74 years of age. Starting screening at earlier ages, between 40 and 49 years, was framed as an individual decision.
“New and more inclusive science on breast cancer in people under age 50 has allowed us to expand our previous recommendation and encourage all women to get tested every two years starting at age 40.” Dr. Carol Mangione (opens in a new tab), immediate past chair of the task force, said in the draft statement. The updated guidance also reflects improvements in digital mammography and breast cancer treatment, which together have increased the benefits of getting mammograms earlier in life. Reuters reported (opens in a new tab).
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“This new recommendation will help save lives and prevent more women from dying from breast cancer,” Mangione said. (In her statement, the task force specified that it is using the term “women” to refer to cisgender women and others assigned the female sex at birth.)
If all eligible people received the recommended screening, breast cancer death rates in the US could drop by 19%, the USPSTF statement says.
This general guideline applies to women at average risk of breast cancer, the statement says. It does not apply to people at high risk of the disease, such as those with a history of breast cancer, those who carry certain genetic markers, or those with a history of high-dose radiation therapy to the chest at a young age. Those people should see a doctor about when to start getting mammograms.
In the future, the task force hopes to issue recommendations designed for specific racial groups, who face different levels of risk of premature death from breast cancer, and for people with dense breast tissue, whose cancer may be difficult to detect on screening. mammograms. The task force called for more research on both fronts.
A recent study suggested that Black patients should start getting mammograms at age 42instead of 50, because their risk of death from breast cancer at age 40 is higher than that seen in other racial groups.
“Making sure black women start getting screened at age 40 is an important first step, but it’s not enough to improve the health disparities we face related to breast cancer.” Dr. Wanda Nicholson (opens in a new tab)said the vice president of the working group in the statement. “In our draft recommendation, we underscore the importance of equitable follow-up after detection and timely and effective treatment of breast cancer, and we urgently call for more research on how to improve the health of black women.”
The task force also calls for investigation into whether additional screening tests (with ultrasound or MRI, for example) could help patients with dense breasts to be diagnosed earlier.
According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (opens in a new tab) (CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION). Also, because mammograms involve exposure to X-rays, each exam exposes patients to a small dose of ionizing radiation.
“We are all exposed to ionizing radiation every day from the natural environment, but additional exposures may lead to an increased chance of developing cancer later in life,” the CDC states. The average dose of radiation used in a typical mammogram with two views of each breast is about 0.4 millisieverts (mSv) (opens in a new tab); for context, US citizens are exposed to approximately 3.11 mSv of “background radiation” (opens in a new tab) in the environment each year.
“The benefits of breast cancer screening far outweigh the risks of radiation,” the International Atomic Energy Agency states (opens in a new tab).