Regular mammograms to screen for breast cancer should start younger, at age 40, according to an influential U.S. Task Force. Women ages 40 to 74 should get screened every other year, the group said.
The Task Force now recommends that all women get screened every other year starting at age 40.
While the Task Force consistently recognized the value of mammography, the latest science makes it clear that we can save even more lives from breast cancer. Previously, they recommended that women in their 40s make an individual decision with their clinician on when they should start screening, taking into account their health history, preferences, and how they value the different potential benefits and harms.
The Task Force now recommends that all women start getting screened for breast cancer every other year starting at age 40. Basically, it’s a shift from recommending women start screening between the ages of 40 and 50 to recommending that all women start getting screened when they turn 40.
Black women are 40 percent more likely to die from breast cancer than White women and too often get aggressive cancers at young ages. Ensuring Black women start screening at 40 is an important first step, yet it is not enough to improve these inequities. It’s important that patients receive equitable and appropriate follow-up after screening and effective treatment of breast cancer. The Task Force is urgently calling for more evidence to better understand whether Black women could potentially be helped by different screening strategies.
Nearly half of all women have dense breasts, which increases their risk for breast cancer and means that mammograms may not work as well for them. Women are generally told that they have dense breasts after they’ve had a mammogram. It is important to note that all women, including those with dense breasts, should be screened starting at age 40. While the Task Force has called for more research, these women should talk to their clinicians about their options for follow-up testing so that they can get the care that’s right for them.