Screening ages and frequencies

These recommendations are for women who do not have symptoms of breast cancer, are not at high risk of breast cancer and want to know when they should attend screening and with which frequency.

Women aged 40-44: no screening

In the context of an organised screening programme for:

• asymptomatic women
• aged 40 to 44
• with an average risk of breast cancer

the ECIBC's Guidelines Development Group (GDG) suggests not implementing mammography screening
(conditional recommendation, moderate certainty of the evidence).

 

Women aged 45-49: screening every 2 or 3 years

In the context of an organised screening programme for:

• asymptomatic women
• aged 45 to 49
• with an average risk of breast cancer

the ECIBC's Guidelines Development Group (GDG) suggests:

• mammography screening
  (conditional recommendation, moderate certainty of the evidence)
• either triennial or biennial mammography over annual screening
  (conditional recommendation, very low certainty of the evidence)

   

Women aged 50-69: screening every 2 years

In the context of an organised screening programme, for:

• asymptomatic women
• aged 50 to 69
• with an average risk of breast cancer

the ECIBC's Guideline Development Group (GDG):

• recommends mammography screening
  (strong recommendation, moderate certainty of the evidence)
• recommends against annual mammography screening
  (strong recommendation, very low certainty of the evidence)
• suggests biennial mammography screening
  (conditional recommendation, very low certainty of the evidence)

   

Women aged 70-74: screening every 3 years

In the context of an organised screening programme, for:

• asymptomatic women
• aged 70 to 74
• with an average risk of breast cancer

the ECIBC's Guideline Development Group (GDG):

• suggests mammography screening
  (conditional recommendation, moderate certainty of the evidence)
• recommends against annual mammography screening
  (strong recommendation, very low certainty of the evidence)
• suggests triennial mammography screening
  (conditional recommendation, very low certainty of the evidence)