Radiology advocates update breast cancer screening guidance to reflect higher risk for minority women
Breast cancer still looms as the second leading cause of cancer deaths, and two leading imaging groups say women should begin undergoing annual mammograms at age 40, particularly minority populations.
The American College of Radiology and Society of Breast Imaging released their recommendations June 18 in the Journal of the American College of Radiology. The update aligns with both groups’ prior guidance but incorporates more current data supporting earlier screening for women of color.
“The decline in advanced-stage disease afforded by mammography screening is directly related to substantial declines in breast cancer mortality,” Debra Monticciolo, MD, vice chair of the department of radiology and section chief of breast imaging at Baylor Scott & White Medical Center-Temple, and co-authors explained. “With this guideline, we offer recommendations more inclusive of all women of average risk for breast cancer,” they added later.
Minority women are 72% more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer before they turn 50, and 58% more likely to suffer from an advanced stage of disease under the age of 50 compared to non-Hispanic white women. Such groups, which includes Hispanic, American Indian, Asian and non-Hispanic Black individuals among others, are also 127% more likely to die from breast cancer by their 50th birthday.
Though some organizations, including the USPSTF, advocate beginning screening at 50-years-old, this paper suggests such a move would be devastating.
“Delaying the age to start screening will result in unnecessary loss of life to breast cancer and will disadvantage minority women in particular,” the authors wrote Friday.
Furthermore, both the ACR and SBI encourage everyone to undergo an individual assessment by age 30, to make sure they aren’t in a higher-risk category that may require a personalized screening approach.
The pair also encourages screening to extend beyond age 75, as 1 in 5 breast cancers occurs in women this age or older.
Read the full guidance here.
Matt joined Chicago’s TriMed team in 2018 covering all areas of health imaging after two years reporting on the hospital field. He holds a bachelor’s in English from UIC, and enjoys a good cup of coffee and an interesting documentary.