On Oct. 20 the American Cancer Society released updated breast cancer screening recommendations. The new guidelines include a number of significant revisions and findings, NBC News reported.
Fewer mammograms, no clinical breast exams
According to The New York Times, the American Cancer Society suggests healthy women begin scheduling annual mammograms when they turn 45 and continue to do so until they reach 54, at which point it recommends women scale back to biennial mammograms. Prior to these new guidelines, the American Cancer Society recommended women undergo annual screenings from the age of 40 onward.
The research that accompanied the new guidelines attributed these policy changes to high false-positive, over-diagnosis and recall rates among younger mammogram recipients. According to a study cited in the new guidelines, 61 percent of annual mammogram recipients 40 and older have experienced at least one false positive.
The organization also advises that women discontinue clinical breast exams.
Regular mammograms reduce cancer deaths
Screenings continue to reduce cancer deaths for women between 40 and 69 years of age, reported the American Cancer Society. Despite these encouraging trends, breast cancer continues to be the leading cause of death for women in U.S. NBC News reported that the disease kills around 40,00 women every year.
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Ronny Bachrach
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