The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has finalized its research plan for new recommendations for breast cancer screening.
USPSTF's last recommendation on breast cancer screening, released in 2009, sparked immediate controversy after it rescinded the group's recommendation that women in their 40s receive routine mammography screening.
As five years have now passed, the policy is due for a review so that it remains updated, according to USPSTF.
"The task force bases its recommendations on the current evidence about preventive services," USPSTF said in a statement. "To keep the recommendations useful to healthcare professionals and the public, we aim to update each recommendation about every five years. ... It is time for us to start the process of reviewing the literature in order to update this recommendation."
The first step is the development of a research plan that guides the scope, conduct, and content of a systematic evidence review, the task force said. A draft research plan was posted for public comment from November 14 through December 11, 2013; USPSTF has taken these comments into consideration in the final plan posted this week.
A new breast cancer screening recommendation is not imminent, however, USPSTF said.
"The task force is in the process of updating its breast cancer screening recommendation," it said. "This takes time. Now that the research plan has been finalized, the task force will begin to review the evidence. Once the evidence has been reviewed, the task force will begin to develop an updated draft recommendation statement."
