New study recommends breast cancer screening age should be lowered for Black women

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - A new international study is recommending Black women get screened for breast cancer earlier than some other health organizations recommend.

While Black women are less likely to get breast cancer compared to White women, they have a 40% higher chance of dying from breast cancer. That’s according to doctors here at Candler Hospital who also say it’s very important to get screenings as early as you can.

The U.S. preventative services task force recommends women get screened at age 50. A study by JAMA Network on 400,000-plus women recommends that the age be dropped down to 42 for Black women because of the increased death rate.

A radiologist says Telfair Pavilion at Candler hospital offers 3D mammograms, whole breast ultrasounds and breast MRIs.

She believes every woman should start getting screenings as early as 40 and even earlier, depending on their family history.

“We take these images to hopefully find breast cancers small and early before women are feeling these and so it’s overall a great study, increasing people’s knowledge, getting the word out there to hopefully help these women catch these cancers small and early,” said radiologist Jordan Dixon.

Because different breast screenings are so important, she says the FDA is making it mandatory that after a woman gets a mammogram she’s made aware of her breast density report, which could be vital in catching cancer earlier.

This was a measure the state of Georgia and South Carolina have been taking for years.

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