Biennial breast cancer tests best for women over age 50
US health task force aims to clarify confused advice given to females at risk of the disease
Women should get a mammogram every two years starting at age 50 - and while routine screening brings little benefit in the 40s, beginning at that age should be a personal choice, a US government task force has said.
In addition, there's not enough evidence to tell if new 3-D mammograms are the best option for routine screening, or if women with dense breasts need extra testing to find hidden tumours, the US Preventive Services Task Force has concluded.
The draft advice issued on Monday is largely a rewording of the task force's controversial 2009 recommendation that drew protests for questioning the usefulness of carrying out mammograms for women in their 40s.
The American Cancer Society has long recommended annual mammograms starting at age 40 and while insurance usually pays for them, experts feared the dueling guidelines would act to confuse the public.
In reviewing its recommendation this time around, the government advisory panel is stressing that 40-somethings need to weigh the pros and cons of screening with their doctors.
Mammograms clearly can help prevent deaths but they come with trade-offs: anxiety-provoking false alarms, unneeded biopsies, and overdiagnosis - the detection of tumours that never would have threatened a woman's life.