The American Cancer Society (ACS) may have changed its recommendations on breast cancer screening, but the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) is holding firm to its current advice that women receive mammography screening every one to two years beginning at age 40.
ACOG also continues to recommend screening mammography every year for women 50 and older and a clinical breast exam for women 19 and older. The organization said that its recommendations differ from those of ACS due to different interpretations of the data and the weight assigned to the harms versus the benefits of screening.
"ACOG strongly supports shared decision-making between doctor and patient, and in the case of screening for breast cancer, it is essential," the organization said in a statement. "We recognize that guidelines and recommendations evolve as new evidence emerges, but currently ACOG continues to support routine mammograms beginning at 40 years as well as continued use of clinical breast examinations."
ACOG said it's convening a consensus conference in January with the intent of developing a consistent set of uniform guidelines for breast cancer that can be implemented nationwide. Major organizations and women's healthcare providers such as ACS will attend to evaluate and interpret the data in greater detail, according to ACOG.
