This is when women should get screened for breast cancer, according to new guidelines

Women should get screened for breast cancer every other year starting at age 40, according to draft guidance issued Tuesday by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.

That’s earlier than the independent panel of experts previously recommended: The last guidance, from 2016, suggested biennial screenings starting at age 50, but noted that women in their 40s could talk to their doctor about getting screened, particularly if they have a family history of breast cancer. Screenings usually involve a mammogram, which is an X-ray image of the breast.

The change is the result of new scientific evidence, the task force said. The rate of breast cancer among women ages 40 to 49 increased 2% per year, on average, from 2015 to 2019, according to the National Cancer Institute.

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