MDLinxUpdates to Mammography Regulations: What Your Patients Need to Know

Recent draft guidelines from the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) propose a change in routine screening mammography recommendations. The new guidelines suggest that women should begin undergoing regular mammograms 10 years earlier than previously advised, starting at the age of 40. This recommendation applies to all individuals assigned female at birth. Simultaneously, FDA has made updates to federal mammography regulations, with a particular focus on reporting requirements related to breast density. These regulatory changes are motivated by studies indicating that approximately half of women over the age of 40 have dense breast tissue in concordance with the high prevalence of breast cancer in the population.