The American Cancer Society has released new breast cancer screening guidelines.
The new breast cancer screening guidelines from the American Cancer Society suggests that women don’t need to start having mammograms until they’re 45 years old. This is a five year increase when compared to the previous recommended age of 40. The guidelines also suggest that women switch to screenings every other year after they hit 55, reports CNN.
The American Cancer Society’s new breast cancer screening guidelines also say that all women can skip manual breast checks by their doctors. It says these just aren’t very effective. However, women that have a history of breast cancer in their family may still want to get mammograms earlier and some still support manual breast checks, CNN notes.
“The recommendations are made with the intent of maximizing reductions in breast cancer mortality and years of life — a life saved — but also being attentive to the need to minimize harms associated with screening,” Dr. Kevin Oeffinger, chair of the American Cancer Society’s breast cancer guideline panel, told CBS News
. “The false positives, the needle biopsies, and emotional factors a woman might experience. Though these may be very different from one woman to another.”
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