Mammography should start early as breast cancer rates rise, panel says

(AP) – Routine mammograms to screen for breast cancer should start younger at age 40, according to an influential U.S. task force. The group said women between the ages of 40 and 74 should be tested every two years.

Previously, the task force said women could choose to start breast cancer screening as young as 40 years old, and strongly recommended that women between the ages of 50 and 74 undergo screening every two years.

Tuesday's announcement from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force formally releases draft recommendations. announced last year. The recommendations were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

“Recognizing the benefits of screening women in their 40s is a victory,” said Dr. Therese Vevers of MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. She was not involved in teaching.

Other medical groups, such as the American College of Radiology and the American Cancer Society, have suggested starting mammograms every year, rather than every other year, starting at age 40 or 45, which may cause confusion, but says, They will be age matched,” Bivers said. Same as what many other organizations are saying. ”

Mortality rates from breast cancer are decreasing as treatments continue to improve. However, breast cancer remains the second leading cause of cancer death among women in the United States. Approximately 240,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer and approximately 43,000 women die from breast cancer each year.

Early screening efforts aim to address two thorny issues. One is the increasing incidence of breast cancer among women in their 40s, which has increased by 2% each year since 2015. Breast cancer mortality among black women Dr. John Wong, vice chair of the task force at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, said compared to white women.

“Sadly, we know that black women are 40% more likely to die from breast cancer than white women,” Wong said. Modeling studies predict that early screening tests could benefit all women, and “even more so for black women,” she said.

Here's a detailed explanation of what's changed, why it's important, and who should pay attention.

When should I get my first mammogram?

For average-risk women, transgender men, and nonbinary people, age 40 is the age to start mammograms. They will need to undergo an x-ray every two years, according to the new guidance. Other groups recommend getting an annual mammogram starting at age 40 or her age 45.

This advice does not apply to women who have had breast cancer or whose genetic markers put them at very high risk of breast cancer. It also doesn't apply to women who received high-dose radiation therapy to the chest when they were younger or who had lesions from previous biopsies.

What happens to women over 75?

It is unclear whether older women should continue to have regular mammography. The task force is calling for more research, as studies rarely include women over 75.

Dr. Vivers recommends that older women talk to their doctors about the benefits of screening, as well as the harms, such as false alarms and unnecessary biopsies.

What about women with dense breasts?

Mammography is not very effective woman with dense breastsyou should still take the exam.

The task force would like to see more evidence about additional tests such as ultrasound and MRI for women with dense breasts. Wong said it's not yet clear whether these types of tests can help detect cancer at an earlier, more treatable stage.

Will this affect my insurance coverage?

Congress has already passed legislation that would require insurance companies to pay for mammograms for women over 40 without copays or deductibles. Additionally, the Affordable Care Act requires insurance companies to cover the task force's recommendations with an “A” or “B” letter grade. Mammography recommendations have a “B” grade, meaning there is a moderate net benefit.