Female patients should start getting mammograms to screen for breast cancer at age 40 and then get one every other year, a U.S. panel of experts has recommended. Previously, the same panel advised that regular breast cancer screening should begin at age 50.
This new guidance was announced Tuesday (May 9) in a draft recommendation statement issued by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). The task force receives support from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, but it operates independently and is staffed by volunteer experts in primary care and prevention.
