The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, a major task force consisting of expert physicians providing recommendations in the primary care setting for routine medical screenings, behavioral counseling, and preventive medications, is now recommending breast cancer screening with mammograms every other year for women with an average risk of developing breast cancer, starting at age 40. This guidance was previously drafted in May 2023, and nearly one year later, these recommendations have been finalized without major changes.
Previously, the USPSTF guidance said screening should start no later than age 50. The Task Force recommended that women in their 40s talk to their doctor about their individual risk. The age for routine screening was dropped to account for the 2% increase in breast cancer diagnosis rates each year among women in their 40s.
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