From the Guidelines
Women should begin annual screening mammography no later than 40 years of age to maximize the benefits of breast cancer mortality reduction. According to the American College of Radiology 1, annual screening mammography for women 40 to 84 years of age decreases mortality by 40%, whereas biennial screening mammography for women 50 to 74 years of age only decreases mortality by 23%. The benefits of screening mammography include reductions in breast cancer mortality and treatment morbidity, as screen-detected tumors are typically lower stage and more likely to be node-negative compared to breast cancers detected by palpation 1.
Key considerations for mammogram age requirements include:
- Women 40 to 49 years of age can benefit from screening mammography, with a 15% to 50% reduction in breast cancer mortality 1
- Non-Hispanic black women, Hispanic black, and Hispanic white women have higher breast cancer mortality and may benefit from earlier screening 1
- Women with dense breasts may require supplemental screening modalities, as dense breast tissue decreases the sensitivity of mammography 1
- Women with a family history of breast cancer or certain genetic mutations may need to begin screening earlier, sometimes as young as 30 years of age 1
Overall, the decision to start mammogram screenings should be based on individual patient risk factors, breast density, and genetic information, as well as overall health and willingness to undergo the examination and subsequent testing or biopsy, if an abnormality is identified 1.
From the Research
Mammogram Age Requirement
The recommended age for starting mammogram screenings is a topic of ongoing debate.
- Studies suggest that annual screening mammography in women 40-49 years old can provide significant benefits in reducing breast cancer mortality and increasing life-years gained 2, 3.
- Research has shown that women 40-49 years old account for a significant percentage of screen-detected breast cancers, with similar incidences of screen-detected breast cancer in the 40-44 and 45-49 year old age groups 4.
- The American College of Radiology recommends annual screening mammography starting at age 40, and some studies support this recommendation 4.
- Other studies have compared the diagnostic performance of different imaging modalities, including mammography, ultrasound, and MRI, in detecting breast cancer in women of different ages and breast densities 5, 6.
- While there is some variation in the recommended age for starting mammogram screenings, the majority of the evidence suggests that starting at age 40 can provide significant benefits in reducing breast cancer mortality and increasing life-years gained 2, 3, 4.