Increasingly women are asked if they want a 3D mammogram instead of the regular X-ray -- and now U.S. health officials are starting a huge study to tell if the newer, sometimes pricier choice really improves screening for breast cancer.
Mammograms do the most good later in life, a U.S. task force declared Monday in recommending that women get one every other year starting at age 50. It said 40-somethings should make their own choice after weighing the pros and cons.
New mammogram advice from the American Cancer Society says most women should start annual screenings at age 45 instead of 40, a change that moves the group closer to guidelines from an influential advisory task force.
Women should get a mammogram every two years starting at age 50 -- and while routine screening brings little benefit in the 40s, beginning it that early should be a personal choice, a government task force said Monday.
More women are learning their breasts are so dense that it's more difficult for mammograms to spot cancer. But new research suggests automatically giving them an extra test isn't necessarily the solution.