rising among U.S. women in their 40s — by two percent a year, on average, since 2015.
“And we now have new and more inclusive science on women younger than 50,” says Wong, a professor of medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston.
That, he adds, includes more data on women of color.
In the United States, Black women have a 40 percent higher death rate from breast cancer than white women, even though they are not more likely to develop the disease. And that disparity is concentrated among relatively younger women.
Based on the latest data, the task force estimates that starting mammography screening at age 40 could save just over one additional life per 1,000 women over a lifetime of screening.
“And we think that Black women could get even more benefit,” Wong notes.
RELATED: Can False-Positive Mammograms Be Avoided?
Does the new recommendation apply to you?
Wong stresses that the recommendation applies only to average-risk women. Women at high risk of breast cancer — due to genetic mutations, for instance — should talk to their doctor about the best screening plan.
The task force still differs from other groups in its advice on mammogram frequency: every other year, instead of annually.
Two of those groups issued a statement in response to the draft recommendation, urging it to go further and support annual exams.
“Medical experts should clear the confusion caused by differing recommendations and agree to recommend