NorthShore continues to support annual mammograms for women starting at age 40.

The United States Preventive Services Task Force published a report recommending new guidelines for mammogram screenings for women. The report, which is based on statistical data examined by a task force of 16 medical experts, suggests that women should not have a mammogram until age 50, and then only after a consultation with their physician to discuss their risk level for breast cancer.

NorthShore University HealthSystem (NorthShore) stands with organizations like The American Cancer Society and the American Society of Breast Surgeons and believes there is sufficient data to support annual mammography screening for women age 40 and older.

NorthShore will continue to advise all women to receive a yearly mammogram starting at age 40. Self-check exams prior to age 40 are also recommended and can help catch breast cancer in women starting in their late 20s and early 30s. Mammograms are also recommended for women younger than 40 if family history indicates they are at higher risk for developing breast cancer. This recommendation is in line with the American Cancer Society's guidelines for cancer screening in women. 

"Each week a group of expert physicians within the NorthShore University HealthSystem meet at our weekly breast tumor conference to discuss newly diagnosed breast cancer patients," said Dr. Jan Jeske, radiologist and Co-Director of the Center for Breast Health at Evanston Hospital. "Every week we are discussing one or more patients under the age of 50 who are newly diagnosed with breast cancer, many of whom have no significant family history."

Breast cancer screening guidelines for women from the American Cancer Society are as follows:

1 - Yearly mammograms are recommended starting at age 40 and continuing for as long as a woman is in good health.
2 - Clinical breast exam (CBE) should be part of a periodic health exam, about every 3 years for women in their 20s and 30s and every year for women 40 and over.
3 - Women should know how their breasts normally feel and report any breast change promptly to their health care providers. Breast self-exam (BSE) is an option for women starting in their 20s.
4 - Women at high risk (greater than 20% lifetime risk) should get an MRI and a mammogram every year. Women at moderately increased risk (15% to 20% lifetime risk) should talk with their doctors about the benefits and limitations of adding MRI screening to their yearly mammogram. Yearly MRI screening is not recommended for women whose lifetime risk of breast cancer is less than 15%.

"Mammography is not a perfect, but it is the best screening tool currently available, and it is in every woman's best interest to begin screening mammograms at the age of 40," said Dr. Jeske.

In 2009, the American Cancer Society estimates that more than 40,000 women will die from breast cancer. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths among women in the United States.

For more information, visit our breast cancer section. To make an appointment for a mammogram please contact one of our mammography locations.