AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION...

Experts Lower Recommended Age For Breast Cancer Screenings to 40

Previously, the task force suggested women receive mammograms starting at age 50.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has changed its previous recommendations regarding the age women should begin breast cancer screenings, lowering it from 50 to 40 years old. Members of the expert panel cited studies highlighting racialized gaps in breast cancer detection, especially for Black women, who are 39% more likely to die from the disease compared to American women as a whole. Earlier mammograms could prove life saving for women of color and women with dense breasts, according to the experts. The panel still suggests biennial checkups—a remaining part of the advice it originally gave in 2009 that has sparked criticism from women’s health activists and doctors alike. But the task force argues the recent rise in breast cancer over-diagnosis is enough reason to keep screening only every other year. It expressed concerns over unnecessary invasive treatment and frequent exposure to radiation from annual mammograms. However, the experts reported far less confidence in its biennial screening schedule than decreasing the age, which was supported with a stronger scientific backing.