The Texas Medical Association (TMA) has announced its support for updated breast cancer screening guidelines recommending that women of average risk begin annual mammography screenings at age 40. This position aligns with recommendations from the American College of Radiology and the Society of Breast Imaging (ACR/SBI). The policy was adopted during TMA’s 2025 annual meeting.
Guidelines on when to start mammograms and how often to have them vary, with some organizations suggesting initiation at ages 40, 45, or 50, and intervals ranging from annual to biennial screenings. TMA’s new policy supports starting at age 40 with no upper age limit.
“More and more younger people are being diagnosed with cancer, so it made sense to lower the [screening] age,” said Terri L. Woodard, MD, co-chair of the TMA Committee on Cancer. “All decisions about mammography screening should be using shared decision-making between patients and their physicians.”
TMA also aims to increase awareness among both patients and doctors about these guidelines and is encouraging state funding for programs that improve access to mammography services. October is recognized as Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
“Screening saves lives,” Dr. Woodard stated.
Breast cancer remains the most common cancer diagnosis among women aside from skin cancer, and rates are rising in Texas women under 50. To address disparities in access, TMA advocates for expanded use of mobile mammography units in underserved areas where screening opportunities are limited.
Dr. Woodard highlighted ongoing barriers to care: “It made sense to try to improve access to people who might be limited by finances, by transportation issues, and so forth.”
About one in eight women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer during their lifetime; one in 43 will die from it. Breast cancer represents approximately 30% of new cancer diagnoses each year. In Texas alone, an estimated 21,083 women were diagnosed with breast cancer in 2024 while about 3,535 died from the disease.
Dr. Woodard works as a reproductive endocrinologist and fertility specialist in Houston primarily serving patients at risk for or affected by cancer. She noted that many women delay screenings due to competing responsibilities: “Many women in their 40s have so many competing priorities,” she said. “We’re working, we’re taking care of children, we’re taking care of parents; and a lot of times we don’t put ourselves first. Sometimes we need to hear that this is something that you should and need to do.”
She also pointed out that delayed diagnoses can occur among recently pregnant women who may attribute symptoms like a breast mass to breastfeeding rather than seeking evaluation: “They find a mass and they figure, ‘It’s related to breastfeeding. It’s probably nothing.’ And they go on without being evaluated.”
Dr. Woodard summarized her goal: “We want fewer women to die of cancer,” she said. “We want people to have access to screening and literally save their lives.”
TMA represents over 59,000 physician and medical student members across Texas through its network based in Austin since its founding in 1853.
