New guidance says women need to be screened for breast cancer at 40 or younger
"Screening mammograms save lives. We're seeing more breast cancer in younger women and it's the safer, better way to screen," says Dr. Susan Boolbol.
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Doctors tell News 12 that based on the latest guidance, women need to start being screened for breast cancer well before they turn 50.
New recommendations from U.S. Preventive Services Task Force says women need to start getting mammograms at 40 or younger, especially if they are considered high risk because of family history or other risk factors.
Dr. Susan Boolbol, chief of breast surgical oncology and breast program at Nuvance Health, says screening women at an earlier age makes sense.
"Screening mammograms save lives. We're seeing more breast cancer in younger women and it's the safer, better way to screen," says Boolbol.
The guidance also suggests women get a mammogram every other year. However, several doctors News 12 spoke to said mammograms should be done annually.
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Dr. Mia Kazanjian, of Norwalk Radiology Consultants and Stamford Health, says women are taking a gamble if they wait more than a year between mammograms.
"There can be aggressive cancers that develop quickly within a year. You're giving that tumor time to grow and time to potentially spread," says Kazanjian.
