Women should be screened for breast cancer starting at age 40, 10 years earlier than recommended previously, a federal panel said on May 9.
The draft recommendation from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force applies to most women and stems from a desire to detect breast cancer earlier.
“New and more inclusive science about breast cancer in people younger than 50 has enabled us to expand our prior recommendation and encourage all women to get screened every other year starting at age 40,” Dr. Carol Mangione, the previous chair of the task force, said in a statement. “This new recommendation will help save lives and prevent more women from dying due to breast cancer.”…