When should you get a mammogram to screen for breast cancer? Experts clarify

The American College of Physicians (ACP) released a new guidance statement in the Annals of Internal Medicine in April 2026, reigniting debate over breast cancer screening age and frequency. A comprehensive review by researchers from Trinity College Dublin and St James’s Hospital, published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews , also found that current statistical tools used to estimate breast cancer risk may fall short in pinpointing individual risk in women with a family history of the disease.

Currently, there is no international consensus on routine screening mammography , and many major medical and health organizations offer different guidance. The main point of contention between such practices boils down to a debate of pros versus cons.

On one hand, the life-saving benefits of early cancer detection are apparent; however, there is also some concern around overdiagnosis, false positives , patient anxiety , and unnecessary biopsies.