According to reports, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) is recommending some changes in its breast cancer screening guidelines.
The USPSTF, a group of independent health experts convened by the Department of Health and Human Services, reviewed and commissioned research to develop computer-simulated models comparing the expected outcomes under different screening circumstances.
- Routine screening of average-risk women should begin at age 50, instead of age 40.
- Routine screening should end at age 74.
- Women should get screening mammograms every two years instead of every year.
- Breast self-exams have little value, based on findings from several large studies.
- But the new recommendations may leave some women confused, since the American Cancer Society continues to recommend annual mammography screening for all healthy women beginning at age 40.
What if I find a lump and I’m younger than 50 or older than 74?
The new guidelines are just about routine screening mammograms. They’re not about getting a mammogram when you have a lump or other suspicious finding or if you’re at high risk of breast cancer.
Studies showing a reduction in breast cancer deaths associated with mammography included screening intervals of 12 to 33 months. The evidence indicated that most of the benefits of screening are maintained when mammography is performed every two years as opposed to every one, while the harms are reduced by nearly half.
Kathryn Evers, MD, who directs the mammography program at Philadelphia’s Fox Chase Cancer Center, tells WebMD she will continue to recommend annual mammograms to her patients.
The evidence shows that by changing to biannual screening you lose some of the mortality benefits seen with yearly screening,” Evers says.
Scientists are trying to better understand which people are more likely to get certain types of cancer. They also study the things we do and the things around us to see if they cause cancer. This information helps doctors recommend who should be screened for cancer, which screening tests should be used, and how often the tests should be done.
It is important to remember that your doctor does not necessarily think you have cancer if he or she suggests a screening test. Screening tests are given when you have no cancer symptoms.
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