As a woman with a history of cancer in my family, new recommendations from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, an influential panel of independent experts on mammogram frequency makes me very nervous.
USPSTF offered up new guidelines yesterday, recommending women in their 40s NOT get routine annual mammograms. Rather, the panel advises, women should only get a mammogram every other year, beginning at age 50. Further, USPSTF concludes there’s no evidence that self-exams or breast exams by physicians is helpful either. The new guidelines, the independent experts say, will reduce the number of false alarms and extra testing that isn’t needed.
