10 May 2023 • The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (Task Force) posted a draft recommendation statement which now recommends that all women get screened for breast cancer every other year starting at age 40. This is a B grade i.e recommended.

“New and more inclusive science about breast cancer in people younger than 50 has enabled us to expand our prior recommendation and encourage all women to get screened every other year starting at age 40,” says Task Force Immediate past chair Carol Mangione, M.D., M.S.P.H.

More research is needed on whether or not women with dense breasts should have additional screening with breast ultrasound or MRI, and on the benefits and harms of screening in women older than 75. These are I statements. (I grade recommendation: The balance of benefits and harms cannot be determined).

The American College of Radiology (ACR) already recommends yearly mammograms for average risk women starting at age 40. Its latest guidelines on mammography, published last week, ​​call for women at higher-than-average risk for breast cancer to undergo a risk assessment by age 25 to determine if screening before age 40 is needed.

Source: USPSTF | Download statement