Women Following ACS Guidelines for Screening Mammography

The U.S. Preventive Service Task Force (USPSTF) recently revised their mammography guidelines, stating that women can wait until age 50 to have biennial (every 2 years) screening mammograms. However, research presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Breast Surgeons indicated that following the USPSTF guidelines would actually have a negative impact on survival. And we agree.

What pleases me is a separate study whose findings show that most women are, in fact, rejecting the new USPSTF guidelines – so I guess patients are in agreement, as well!

The American Cancer Society (ACS) recommends that women aged 40 and above get annual screening mammograms. The UCSF Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging follows the ACS guidelines and encourages you to do the same.

Remember: If all U.S. women currently aged 30-39 undergo annual screening mammography between ages 40-84, an estimated 100,000 more lives will be saved than if following the current USPSTF guidelines of biennial screening between ages 50-74.*

Women at high risk may need to start screening earlier and women at very high risk may benefit from the addition of breast MRI.

For additional information about our mammography services, click here.

*Source: Hendrick and Helvie; AJR Feb. 2011; 196 (2): W112.