ST. GEORGE — The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force announced Wednesday it has adjusted — from 50 to 40 — the recommended age for women to undergo their first mammography screening for breast cancer. 

The task force made a similar change three years ago that reduced the recommended age for the first colonoscopies for colon cancer from 50 to 45.  

St. George Regional Hospital’s Cancer Center has had several programs promoting both the prevention of breast cancer and surviving what is, according to the American Medical Association, a cancer that is the second-most prevalent and the second-biggest killer among women. 

Dr. Eugene Kim, the chief of breast imaging for all hospitals in the Intermountain Health system, said the change is overdue. 

“We’re happy to see guidelines come more in line with the American College of Radiology and Society of Breast Imaging, which recommend women receive their mammograms beginning at age 40,” he said. 

Kim said, however, he still disagrees with one guideline. While the task force says women should get regular mammograms every two years, Kim thinks women should have a mammogram as part of their yearly checkups. 

“The focus on annual mammograms has played a major role in detecting breast cancer early when it’s easily treatable with a higher survival rate for patients,” Kim said.

The change is a reversal of a move made by the task force in 2009 when it raised the recommended age from 40 to 50. The reasoning at the time, according to the task force, was concerns over the chance for more false positives in younger women and unnecessary biopsies and procedures. 

However, the task force says Wednesday’s change back to 40 years of age is coming from an increase in breast cancer in women in their 40s and the effectiveness of early detection leading to a decrease in the chances for breast removal or death. 

“With this increasing incidence of breast cancer in women in their 40s, that points to mammography being even more beneficial,” Dr. Wanda Nicholson, the chair of the task force, said in a statement. (See video below)

According to the task force, in 2023, an estimated 43, 170 women in the U.S. died of breast cancer.

Additionally, some demographics are seeing higher breast cancer rates. White women have the highest incidence of breast cancer and black women have the highest mortality rate.

Beyond the new guideline, doctors recommend that women with a family history of the disease or other factors such as dense breast tissue, should consult with their doctor about regular screenings before the age of 40.

According to the task force website, “The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force … makes evidence-based recommendations about preventive services such as screenings, behavioral counseling, and preventive medications. Task Force recommendations are created for primary care professionals by primary care professionals.”

Click here for additional information about the task force recommendations.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2024, all rights reserved.

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