July 27, 2011 — The American Society of Breast Disease (ASBD) strongly supports the new screening mammography guidelines of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) recommending annual screening for all women ages 40 to 49.
Yearly screening represents an increase from ACOG's prior recommendation of screening every other year. Other medical organizations such as the American Cancer Society (ACS), the American College of Radiology (ACR), and Society of Breast Imaging (SBI) also support annual mammography of all women beginning at age 40.
Recent medical studies from Sweden and Canada have shown that screening women in their 40s can reduce deaths from breast cancers in that age group by 40 to 50 percent. Other studies from the United States have shown that annual screening can detect breast cancers earlier than less frequent screening.
Annual screening is especially important for younger women because they tend to have denser breasts and faster-growing tumors. Screening should be performed on all women since more than 80 percent of women with breast cancer have no known risk factor such as history of breast cancer in a mother or sister.
For more information: www.mammographysaveslives.org
