Women at average risk of breast cancer should be tested every two years starting at age 40, 10 years earlier than previously recommended, according to draft guidance issued Tuesday by the US Preventive Services Task Force. .us
“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,” said Dr. Carol Mangione, immediate past chair of the task force, said in a statement. “This new recommendation will help save lives and prevent more women from dying from breast cancer.”
The national expert panel recommended in 2016 that women in their 40s make their own screening decisions based on their health history and preferences, while age 50 has long been considered the age for Start getting mammograms.
The panel believes that this new proposed change could result in 19% more lives saved.
Breast cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer (after skin cancer) and the second leading cause of cancer death in American women, according to the American Cancer Society.
The organization estimates that about 298,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in women this year, while some 43,700 women will die of breast cancer.
Other organizations, including the American College of Radiology and the American Cancer Society, already suggest that women start getting annual mammograms at age 40 and 45, respectively.
The new task force recommendations come after a recent study found that black women should be screened for breast cancer starting at age 42 instead of 50.
The task force acknowledged racial disparities in breast cancer diagnoses, noting that black women often develop breast cancer at a younger age and are 40 percent more likely to die from the disease than white women.
“Ensuring that black women start getting screened at age 40 is an important first step, but it is not enough to improve the health disparities we face related to breast cancer,” the vice president of the Department said in a statement. working group, Dr. Wanda Nicholson.
The panel said more research is needed before medicine knows better how to address the health disparities faced by Black, Latina, Asian, Native American and Alaska Native women, particularly how to ensure follow-up after screening.
Additional research would also benefit women with dense breasts, for whom mammograms may not work as well because the tests are less sensitive and more likely to miss cancer.
“We know that women with dense breasts are at increased risk of breast cancer, and unfortunately mammograms don’t work as well for them,” task force member Dr. John Wong said in a statement.
Dense breasts are made up of more glandular and fibrous tissue and less fatty breast tissue. Women with dense breasts have a higher risk of breast cancer than women with oily breasts, according to the National Cancer Institute.
Breast density can change over time. Those who are younger, pregnant or breastfeeding; on hormone replacement therapy; or with a lower body weight are more likely to have dense breasts.
One study found that 43% of women ages 40 to 74 have extremely dense breasts.
“What we don’t know yet, and what we urgently call for more research on, is whether and how additional screening might be helpful for women with dense breasts, including ultrasound, breast MRIs, or something else,” Wong said. .
Doctors recommend that all women perform visual and physical breast self-exams at least once a month.
The task force suggests that anyone concerned about their breast health should contact their doctor.