Mammograms should start at age 40, new guidelines recommend
NPR Online NewsApr 30
US Panel says Breast Cancer Screenings Should Start at Age 40
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The Facts
The US Preventive Services Taskforce (USPSTF) released new guidelines on Tuesday, recommending all women undergo mammogram screenings every other year starting at age 40.
Previous advice suggested women start getting mammograms at age 50, or in their mid-40s based on personal risk for breast cancer.
The Spin
Narrative B
Lowering the recommended age that women should undergo mammograms could lead to overdiagnoses of breast cancer and unnecessary medical intervention. The likelihood of false positive mammogram results are higher in younger women, and it may prompt a need for additional testing that can be expensive or invasive.
Nerd narrative
There's a 50% chance that the average survival rate of all cancers will exceed 75% by 2029, according to the Metaculus prediction community.