The recommended age for women to start getting mammograms could be lowered from 50 to 40, according to new draft recommendations released Tuesday from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.
Why it matters: The national health panel found that starting formal breast cancer screenings 10 years earlier could save 19% more lives.
- The panel also is recommending that all women, cisgender women and other people assigned female at birth have mammograms every other year.
- Previous guidance has noted women in their 40s should make individual decisions on screening and based on their preferences and family history.
Context: Breast cancer is the second most common cancer and the second most common cause of cancer death for women in the U.S., the task force said in a news release.
- Black women are 40% more likely to die of breast cancer than white women, the task force said, noting more research is needed to understand the causes and "what can be done to eliminate this health disparity."
What they’re saying: “New and more inclusive science about breast cancer in people younger than 50 has enabled us to expand our prior recommendation and encourage all women to get screened every other year starting at age 40,” Task Force immediate past chair Carol Mangione said in the release.
- “This new recommendation will help save lives and prevent more women from dying due to breast cancer," Mangione said.
Of note: The draft recommendation is for women who are considered at average risk of breast cancer.
- The task force said more research is needed on “whether or not women with dense breasts should have additional screening with breast ultrasound or MRI, and on the benefits and harms of screening in women older than 75.”
Editor's note: This story is developing and will be updated.
