American Cancer Society says women should start mammograms at 45
- 9 years ago
In guidelines released Tuesday, the American Cancer Society said that women at average risk of breast cancer should begin annual mammograms at age 45 - five years later than it had previously recommended.
The society said it reached this conclusion after carefully weighing both the benefits and harms of mammograms for younger women, whose risk of breast cancer is much lower than that of older women.
By age 55, women can transition to being screened every other year.
That's because breast cancers tend to grow more slowly after menopause, making it safe for women to be checked less often, according to the guidelines, published online Tuesday in JAMA, formerly the Journal of the American Medical Association.
The society said it reached this conclusion after carefully weighing both the benefits and harms of mammograms for younger women, whose risk of breast cancer is much lower than that of older women.
By age 55, women can transition to being screened every other year.
That's because breast cancers tend to grow more slowly after menopause, making it safe for women to be checked less often, according to the guidelines, published online Tuesday in JAMA, formerly the Journal of the American Medical Association.