Women Should Be Screened for Breast Cancer 10 Years Earlier, Guidelines Say

Women as young as 40 should get checked for breast cancer every two years, a government-backed panel of experts recommended, lowering the starting age by a decade but stopping short of the annual screening some doctors recommend. 

Women 40 to 74 should get screened every other year, the United States Preventive Services Task Force said on Tuesday. It previously recommended that screening every other year start at 50 and that women in their 40s decide when to start screening in consultation with doctors. The task force said its draft guidance for women at average risk could save about 20% more lives than its previous recommendation and could help address the higher rates of breast-cancer deaths for Black women.