Panel says mammograms should start at age 40 to prevent higher incidence of breast cancer in black women and younger

According to an influential US task force, regular mammograms to detect breast cancer should start earlier, at age 40. According to the group, women aged 40 to 74 should be screened every two years.

Previously, the duty force said women could select to start screening for breast cancer as early as age 40, with a stronger suggestion that they get tested every two years from ages 50 to 74.

Tuesday’s announcement by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force makes the official draft suggestion announced last yr. The recommendations were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

“It’s a victory that they now see the benefits of screening women over 40,” said Dr. Therese Bevers of MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. She didn’t participate in the driving.

Other medical groups, including the American College of Radiology and the American Cancer Society, suggest mammograms yearly – as a substitute of every two years – starting at age 40 or 45, which might cause confusion, Bevers said, but “now the starting age might be aligned with what many other organizations claim.”

As treatment continues to improve, the number of deaths from breast cancer is decreasing. However, breast cancer remains to be the second leading cause of cancer death amongst U.S. women. About 240,000 cases are diagnosed annually and almost 43,000 women die from breast cancer.

The push for earlier screening is meant to address two vexing problems: the rising incidence of breast cancer amongst women over 40 – rising 2% annually since 2015 – and the higher breast cancer mortality amongst black women compared with white women, said task force vice chairman Dr. John Wong of Tufts Medical Center in Boston.

“Unfortunately, we know all too well that black women are 40% more likely to die from breast cancer than white women,” Wong said. Modeling studies predict that earlier screening could help all women and provide “even greater benefits to black women,” he said.

Here you will find more details on what’s modified, why it is vital and who should listen.

WHEN SHOULD YOU GET YOUR FIRST MAMMOGRAM?

For women, transgender men, and average-risk nonbinary people, mammograms should start at age 40. Under the brand new guidelines, they should undergo an X-ray examination every two years. Other groups recommend annual mammograms starting at age 40 or 45.

This advice doesn’t apply to women who’ve had breast cancer or to women who’re at very high risk of developing breast cancer due to genetic markers. It also doesn’t apply to women who received high-dose chest radiotherapy at a young age, or to women who had the lesion found on previous biopsies.

WHAT ABOUT WOMEN 75 AND OLDER?

It is unclear whether older women should proceed to have regular mammograms. Studies rarely include women aged 75 and older, so the duty force is looking for more research.

Bevers suggests that older women talk to their doctors in regards to the advantages of screening in addition to the harms, similar to false positives and unnecessary biopsies.

What about women with dense breasts?

Mammography doesn’t work that well women with dense breastsbut they should still pass the exams.

The task force would love to see more evidence about additional tests, similar to ultrasound or MRI, in women with dense breasts. It’s not yet clear whether this kind of testing would help detect cancer at an earlier, more treatable stage, Wong said.

DOES THIS AFFECT INSURANCE PROTECTION?

Congress has already passed laws requiring insurers to pay for mammograms for women age 40 and older with no copays or deductibles. Additionally, the Affordable Care Act requires insurers to address the duty force’s recommendations with a letter grade of “A” or “B.” The suggestion for mammography is rated “B,” meaning it has a moderate net profit.

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