Breast Cancer Screening Guidelines
New evidence-based patient-facing breast cancer guidelines from the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) call for annual mammograms for all average-risk women over age 40 years. This simplifies the message, says the NCCN. Read the NCCN article
Elizabeth Wende Breast Care follows the American College of Radiology/Society of Breast Imaging (ACR/SBI) breast cancer screening guidelines which highlight the importance of annual screening for all women.
Highlights
- Starting screening at 40 for all women
- The benefit of a risk assessment by 30
- Addressing underserved and overlooked populations, including transgender people and minority women
Average Risk Women
- All women should have a discussion with their primary care physician regarding their breast cancer risk by age 30
- Yearly screening mammograms starting at age 40
High-Risk Women
- Women with a strong family history of breast cancer or genetic mutation may benefit from starting screening earlier than age 40
- Consult your physician about when to start mammography & if any additional imaging is needed, such as high-risk breast MRI
Women aged 75 and Older
- No upper age limit if in reasonably good health
- Are mammograms useful for older women? (By Dr. Stamatia Destounis)
- Cancer screening may still be valuable for older individuals (By Amerigo Allegretto, AuntMinnie.com staff writer, Dr. Destounis quoted)
- Read 2018 research done at EWBC
Breast Self-Awareness
- Learn to identify possible changes in your breasts
- Continue yearly check-ups & clinical breast exams by health care providers
Benefits of Screening Mammography
Resources
New NCCN Guidelines for Mammography: All Women Over 40
WHY Screen at 40 Society of Breast Imaging (SBI)
THINGS to Know about Breast imaging Society of Breast Imaging (SBI)
Mammography Saves Lives (Society of Breast Imaging/American College of Radiology website)
The American Society of Breast Surgeons position statement
Breast Cancer Screening in Women at Higher-Than-Average Risk: Recommendations From the ACR
Screening Guidelines Comparison Sheet (densebreast-info.org)