Experts are calling for the mammogram screening age to be brought forward

What has sparked the change?

• In this article:

• The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force have released new recommendations for mammograms

• Why they are urging women to get tested a decade earlier

• How these recommendations compare with Australian guidelines

Fresh from an expert panel in the US, the guidelines around when – and how often – women should undergo screening for breast cancer have been placed under review. Here’s why.

Currently, US guidelines on mammogram screenings call for women to undergo regular exams every two years from the age of 50. Should women aged 40 to 49 decide to embark on the exam, a personalised screening regime should be discussed with their doctor. 

Now, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) is calling for a revision to the current practices, recommending the age for mammogram screenings be brought forward by ten years, therefore urging women aged 40 to undergo their first screening exam. 

The USPSTF is an independent, government-funded board of experts that regularly reviews health data and advises health providers and practitioners. The board last released advice on mammogram screenings in 2016.

Why are the recommendations changing?

In short, the USPSTF’s decision is largely swayed by the rising rates of breast cancer diagnosis in younger women. Since 2015, data from the National Cancer Institute reveals a 2 per cent annual increase in cases of women in their forties. 

“Our current data shows that this recommendation could potentially save as many as one out of five women who would otherwise die if they waited to be screened until they were 50,” says Dr John Wong, vice chair of USPSTF. 

“That’s potentially saving 25,000 women from dying of breast cancer. We think that’s a big win,” he adds.

“The data have shown for years that by not screening women between ages 40 and 50, if women in that age group develop breast cancer, they are more likely to need chemo, more likely to need larger surgery, and more often get more aggressive cancers," adds Dr Maxine Jochelson, a radiologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. "I think they are late to the party.”

Breast cancer screening before the recommended age of 50 is up to the individual in Australia. Image: iStock

How does this compare with Australian recommendations?

Similar to the US guidelines, the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners adopts a fairly conservative approach to breast cancer screening. 

Currently, women are encouraged to undergo their first mammogram screening at the age of 50, with subsequent mammograms every two years until the age of 74. 

Of course, if a patient presents with symptoms or has a family history of breast cancer, the recommendations extend to yearly exams, often starting at the age of 40. 

However, the RACGP maintains the view that the decision to begin breast cancer screening before the recommended age of 50 is up to the individual, and should take into account the associated risk of unnecessary diagnosis and treatment in rare cases. 

“Screening mammogram in women aged 40 to 49 years may reduce the risk of dying of breast cancer, but the number of deaths averted is much smaller than in older women, and the number of false-positive tests and unnecessary biopsies is larger,” the guidelines read.

Originally published as Experts are calling for the mammogram screening age to be brought forward