Screening Mammography Recommended for Women 40 or Older

A new guideline from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality recommends routine mammography for women 40 and older.

The third U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has been releasing new and updated guidelines during the past year (http://www.ahrq.gov/clinic/uspstfix.htm#review; Journal Watch May 15 2001; Journal Watch Nov 9 2001; and Journal Watch Feb 1 2002). This guideline is the latest in the series.

USPSTF 3 concludes each of its guidelines with a recommendation, graded as follows:

A -- The intervention is strongly recommended.

B -- The intervention is recommended.

C -- The USPSTF makes no recommendation for or against the intervention.

D -- The intervention is not routinely recommended.

I -- Evidence is insufficient to recommend for or against the intervention.

Most professional societies that comment on breast cancer screening recommend periodic m…

Richard Saitz, MD, MPH