Mammography should begin at age 40 to address rising breast cancer rates among young people: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force | Health

usually mammogram Screening for breast cancer should start even younger, at age 40, according to an influential US 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 You can get tested as young as 40 years old, and it is even more strongly recommended that people between the ages of 50 and 74 get tested every two years.

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

Also read: Why do young women get breast cancer?

“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 proposed starting mammograms every year instead of every other year, starting at age 40 or 45, which could cause confusion, but says, The starting ages will match,” Vivers 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.

The movement toward early screening aims to address two thorny issues. One is the increasing incidence of breast cancer among women in their 40s (which has increased by 2% annually since 2015), and the other is the higher breast cancer mortality rate among black women compared to white women. Dr. John Wong, vice chair of the force at Tufts Medical Center in Boston;

“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 can 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. According to the new guidelines, they will need to undergo an X-ray every two years. 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 less effective for women with dense breasts, but they should still be screened.

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.