New breast health guidelines have been released jointly by two different organizations, the American College of Radiology (ACR) and the Society of Breast Imaging (SBI), based on actual results and successes of beginning annual mammography screening at age 40.

They recommend that “annual screening should begin on women with an average risk of breast cancer at age 40 and women with a higher risk at age 30.” This negates the guidelines issued in November by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, but is based on a work in progress for nearly two years. The data gathered from this joint project also helps to determine how to screen women with different risk levels.

For example, women with a greater than 20 percent lifetime risk based on family history or who possess the BRCA gene mutation should seek annual MRI testing by age 30.  Women with an average risk of breast cancer should start screening at age 40and women with an elevated risk of breast cancer should begin getting mammograms by age 30.

The Charleston Breast Center’s Dr. Lisa Baron agrees, “Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in women and the second-leading cause of cancer-related deaths. I join my colleagues in disagreeing with their new recommendations for breast cancer screening. Widespread use of routine screening, along with treatment advances in recent years, has been credited with significant reductions in breast cancer mortality.”

Our recommendation: get your mammogram!