A new federal health recommendation made this week could potentially save thousands of lives.

Women are now being advised to start breast cancer screening at age 40.

That's ten years earlier than previously suggested.

The guidance from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force urges women to get a mammogram every other year until age 74.

And as Raven Santana reports, it comes in response to rising cancer rates among younger women.

You're hanging out with your girlfriends.

There's eight of you.

One of you in the lifetime who's going to breast cancer.

I mean, that's really not something to turn away from.

It's a stark but lifesaving fact that breast imaging radiologist Dr. Carolyn Malone wants women to know.

She says the risk of getting breast cancer is not little and getting screened can save your life and an effort to save more lives.

On Tuesday, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force announced new guidelines that say women should get a mammogram every other year.

Now, starting at age 40 rather than starting at age 50.

That's due to two major reasons the rate of breast cancer among women ages 40 to 49 increased 2% per year on average.

And earlier screening can save 20% more lives.

So I don't know that they got it right in 2009, but I beyond thrilled that they are taking a big step in the right direction.

Studies are showing that women of certain ethnicities, African American women, are getting breast cancer earlier than the general population.

They're not only getting it younger, they're more aggressive cancers.

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States for women.

Clearly, we need to do something about this.

The other thing you need to know is that breast cancer in young women is skyrocketing.

This has been happening for the past ten years.

This predates COVID, predates the vaccine.

We can't blame COVID or the vaccine.

Dr. Malone's comments are echoed by Dr. Michelle Blackwood, breast surgeon at R.W.

Jay Barnabas Health.

Dr. Blackwood assures all women that the entire process takes less than 20 minutes and can save your life.

There is paperwork to fill out in the beginning.

That's everywhere.

The actual mammogram itself probably takes about 15 minutes.

It's not a hard test.

If women find that it's uncomfortable for them, first of all, it's only 7 seconds of discomfort.

In addition to the entire process being quick, Dr. Blackwood also stresses that screening mammograms can detect breast cancer in its early stages.

When treatment is most effective.

It's so different than it used to be.

We don't maim people.

We don't hurt people.

But we can cure cancer.

The issue is we need that to be partnered with early early detection, mammograms and other screening modalities really help that.

Still, experts, including breast surgical oncologist Dr. Nicole Melchior, says the new guidelines are still out of step with the major medical associations.

I think the one unfortunate thing is that the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force is still saying, yes, start at 40, but they still are recommending every other year, whereas many other groups say, no, it really should be annual.

So I think that's one thing that I wish would have also changed, because again, it makes it tough for patients to know, well, when am I supposed to get my mammogram?

This says every year that says every other year.

It's tricky.

And I think that we know annual mammograms save more lives than every other year.

So hopefully that will be something in the future that I hope they will, you know, update.

The task force recommends those screenings continue through age 74 for women, which includes cis, gender and other people assigned to female at birth.

Friendly Spotlight News.

I'm Raven Santana.