Topline
Women should begin biennial screening for breast cancer at age 40, according to new guidance published Tuesday from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, pushing up the independent panel of medical experts’ 2016 recommendation by a decade as certain cancers are increasingly being diagnosed younger.
Tuesday’s guidance replaces the group’s 2016 recommendation that biennial screening should begin at ... [+]
Key Facts
The new recommendations, published Tuesday in the medical journal JAMA Network, urge cisgender women and people assigned female at birth, including transgender men and nonbinary people, at average risk of developing the disease to screen for breast cancer every other year starting at 40 until they are 74.
Tuesday’s recommendations replace the task force’s 2016 recommendations, which encouraged screening to begin at 50 and last until 74 and said the choice to begin screening under the recommended age “should be an individual one.”
The American Cancer Society has also recommended women begin screening for breast cancer in their 40s, recommending women get yearly mammograms from 45 to 54, according to guidelines last updated in December—the New American College of Radiology and Society of Breast Imaging also recommended earlier screenings in 2018.
Leading breast cancer organization Susan G. Komen said in a statement it “generally supports” the updated recommendations, but urged patients to discuss personalized approaches with their healthcare providers.
Key Background
Breast cancer is the second-most common type of cancer and second-leading cause of cancer death for women in the U.S., according to the task force. A number of factors put women at higher risk for developing the disease early, such as family history or ovarian cancer diagnoses, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Gene mutations can also lead to early onset of the disease, according to Cleveland Clinic. Alongside other cancers, there has been an increase in early onset breast cancer—or diagnosis between ages 18 to 45. A 2023 study published in JAMA Network Open looking at more than 562,000 patients with early onset cases of multiple cancer types found breast cancer had the highest number of early onset cases in 2019.
Tangent
Despite the prevalence of the disease, significant racial disparities exist in diagnosis and treatment. The American Cancer Society says Black women are more likely to die from the disease compared to “any other race or ethnic group.” In terms of diagnoses, white, Asian and Pacific Islander women are more likely to be diagnosed with “localized breast cancer” than Black, Hispanic, American Indian and Alaska Native women, according to the American Cancer Society.
Big Number
About 240,000. That’s how many women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year, according to July 2023 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than 2,100 men are also diagnosed annually, the agency said.
Surprising Fact
The American Cancer Society estimates that more than 310,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in women in the U.S. in 2024, with more than 42,000 estimated to die from the disease.
Further Reading
Cancer cases in younger people are rising sharply. Here are some preventive measures to take (CNN)
The Checkup With Dr. Wen: Why cancer rates are rising among younger people (The Washington Post)
Breast cancer is deadlier for Black women. A study of mammograms could help close the gap (The Associated Press)
