Physicians have been consistent in recommendations for when to begin screening for breast cancer, but a new recommendation alters existing guidelines.
Women typically undergo a mammogram and, if necessary, a follow-up ultrasound. In a surprising recommendation released Friday, however, the American College of Physicians (ACP) says women should not begin mammograms until age 50 and then stop getting them at age 74. The ACP says women only need screenings every other year. Women ages 40 to 49 should discuss their breast cancer risk with their physician.
These guidelines differ from the American College of Radiology (ACR), which is clear: women should get a mammogram every year starting at age 40, as long as they are healthy. The SCR recommends that high-risk women get a breast cancer risk assessment at age 25…