Debra Monticciolo, MD, FACR, Vice Chair of the department of radiology and Section Chief of breast imaging at Baylor Scott & White Medical Center-Temple, contributed this post.
Well-defined breast cancer screening guidance is critical for all women and especially for underserved and underrepresented populations. Mammography screening can prevent thousands of unnecessary deaths each year.
Minority women are 72% more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer before age 50, are 58% more likely to be diagnosed with advanced stage disease prior to age 50, and are 127% more likely to die of breast cancer before age 50 compared to white women.
Females transitioning to male who do not undergo mastectomies maintain their previous risk for breast cancer, and these individuals are less likely to have routine screenings, which further increases their risk. Males transitioning to female are at increased risk for breast cancer compared to other males, due to hormone use.
These demographic differences are why I want to share new expanded guidelines, inclusive of all women, developed by the American College of Radiology® (ACR®) and Society of Breast Imaging (SBI).
The new guidelines state that annual screening is to start at age 40 in transfeminine (male-to-female) patients who have used hormones for 5 years or more, and for transmasculine (female-to-male) patients who have not had mastectomy.
The ACR and SBI continue to recommend that women at average breast cancer risk begin screening at age 40, but have a risk assessment at age 30 to see if screening prior to age 40 is needed. The societies also recommend that women continue screening past age 74, unless severe comorbidities limit life expectancy.
Read our guidelines published in the Journal of the American College of Radiology, and get more information about the proven effectiveness of regular mammography screening to reduce breast cancer deaths at RadiologyInfo.org, MammographySavesLives.org and EndTheConfusion.org.
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