What You Should Know About the Newly Proposed Breast Cancer Screening Guidelines – News Block

The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recently wrote a recommendation to lower the age at which women should start getting screened for breast cancer. The proposed recommendation lowers the age from 50 to 40 years to reduce the risk of dying from the disease.

Below, Daniel Herron, MD, director of women’s imaging at Dignity Health Advanced Imaging, discusses the change with KCRA-TV.

Dr. Herron recommends that women ages 40 and older get screened every year. “Breast cancer is treatable when caught early,” says Dr. Herron. “Women who choose regular exams can reduce their risk of dying from breast cancer by approximately 50%.”

The American College of Radiology, the Breast Imaging Society, the American Society of Breast Surgeons, along with the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, recommend annual screenings starting at age 40.

Breast cancer is occurring in people at younger ages

• One in four breast cancers in white women occurs before the age of 50.
• One in three breast cancer diagnoses occur in Asian, Hispanic, and black women before the age of 50.
• Breast cancer rates peak for Asian, Hispanic and Black women in their 40s.

For some women with a family history of breast cancer, it may be beneficial to discuss starting screening tests before age 40. It’s important to remember that regular screening can reduce your risk of dying from breast cancer by 50%. Get a mammogram to learn your risk and detect breast cancer while it’s curable.