Women should get screened for breast cancer every other year starting at age 40, according to draft guidance issued Tuesday by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.
That’s earlier than the independent panel of experts previously recommended: The last guidance, from 2016, suggested biennial screenings starting at age 50 but noted that women in their 40s could talk to their doctor about getting screened, particularly if they had a family history of breast cancer. Screenings usually involve a mammogram, which is an X-ray image of the breast.
The change is the result of new scientific evidence, the task force said. The rate of breast cancer among women ages 40-49 increased 2% per year, on average, from 2015 to 2019, according to the National Cancer Institute.
But many radiologists think the recommendations don’t go far enough.
“They’re taking a step in the right direction, but I do worry about the every-other-year timing,” said Dr. Melissa Durand, an associate professor at the Yale School of Medicine Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging. “Annual screening is going to catch the most amount of cancers when they’re at their smallest sizes and when treatment can be most effective. We will miss cancers if we screen every other year.”
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The FDA is now requiring facilities to notify women if they have dense breast tissue, and health experts say women with that designation should have a conversation with their doctor about whether additional breast cancer screening in addition to a mammogram is needed, NBC 5’s Lauren Petty reports.
