USPSTF to review breast screening guidelines

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has begun a review of its guidelines on breast cancer screening -- perhaps opening up a replay of its controversial 2009 decision rescinding support for screening younger women.

On November 14, USPSTF announced it had issued a draft research plan that will be used to guide a "systematic review" of evidence on breast screening, and that will form the basis for a new task force recommendation on the topic.

The last time USPSTF changed its recommendation on breast screening was in 2009, when the group rescinded its previous recommendation that women in their 40s receive regular breast screening. The decision touched off a firestorm of controversy, not only on the recommendation itself but also on the lack of transparency of the USPSTF's process in issuing guidelines.

Indeed, the November 14 announcement makes clear that screening in younger women will be a major focus of the effort. Several proposed questions in the draft specifically address the effectiveness of routine mammography screening for women in their 40s, as measured by reductions in all-cause and breast cancer-specific mortality.

USPSTF also plans to discuss the harms of routine mammography screening and how they may differ by age and risk factors of the individuals being screening. The group is also going to review the effectiveness of screening by alternative modalities such as 3D mammography, MRI, ultrasound, and clinical breast examination.

The documents outlining the draft research plan can be reached by clicking here.