What age should breast cancer screening start and stop?

People ask this in several ways: when should screening start, why did some guidelines not recommend mammograms before 50, and at what age is it reasonable to stop. The short answer is that major bodies disagree in places, and each one is speaking about people at average risk. This page sets out what five of them say, with the date of the page the editors opened. Guidance can change, so check the current version with your own doctor or screening service.

Five guideline bodies compared

The table gives each body's start age, stop age and interval as stated on the page we read. Screening policy differs between countries and between people.

1. USPSTF (United States, April 2024)Every 2 years, ages 40 to 74. Evidence for 75 and over judged insufficient.
2. NHS Breast Screening Programme (England)First invitation between 50 and 53, then every 3 years until the 71st birthday.
3. Canadian Task Force (2024 draft, informed choice)Every 2 to 3 years for ages 40 to 74 by personal choice; the draft suggests screening from 50 and not systematically at 40 to 49.
4. American Cancer Society (2026 page)Yearly at 45 to 54, then every 2 years or yearly; option to start at 40 to 44; no fixed stop age (continue while in good health).
5. WHO (2014 position paper)Organized programs for ages 50 to 69, every 2 years.

• 30
• 40
• 50
• 60
• 70
• 80

Each row is explained below. The WHO row refers to organized programmes in well-resourced health systems, and WHO gives different advice for settings with fewer resources.11World Health Organization: WHO position paper on mammography screening Published 2014; 50 to 69 with a two-year interval, and 40 to 49 or 70 to 75 only within research, in well-resourced settings.

When to start

The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends a mammogram every 2 years for women aged 40 to 74.22US Preventive Services Task Force: Breast Cancer Screening Final recommendation published April 30, 2024; biennial screening mammography at 40 to 74, grade B. That is a change. Its 2016 recommendation was every 2 years from 50, with an individual decision for ages 40 to 49.22US Preventive Services Task Force: Breast Cancer Screening The "Update of Previous Recommendation" section describes the 2016 position. The American Cancer Society treats 40 to 44 as an option and recommends yearly mammograms from 45 to 54.33American Cancer Society: ACS Breast Cancer Screening Guidelines Last revised July 23, 2026; option to start yearly at 40 to 44, yearly at 45 to 54.

England starts later. The NHS sends a first invitation between ages 50 and 53, then invites you every 3 years.44NHS: Who breast screening is for Page last reviewed 9 October 2025; invitation between 50 and 53, then every 3 years until the 71st birthday. The Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care, in draft recommendations released in May 2024, advised giving women 40 to 74 the benefits and harms in absolute numbers, and offering screening every 2 to 3 years to those who then want it.55Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care: Breast Cancer (Update), Draft Recommendations (2024) Archived draft; the Task Force ended its mandate on March 31, 2026 and the page is not updated.

Why some guidelines do not recommend mammograms before 50

The Canadian draft said that at ages 40 to 49 the harms may outweigh the benefits, though it rated its certainty as very low.55Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care: Breast Cancer (Update), Draft Recommendations (2024) Conditional recommendation, very low certainty, for ages 40 to 49. Cancer Research UK adds a practical reason: mammograms are harder to read in younger women because denser breast tissue hides patterns.66Cancer Research UK: Breast screening (mammography) Last reviewed 21 May 2026; says denser tissue makes mammograms harder to read before 50.

The USPSTF modeling puts numbers on the trade. Starting at 40 instead of 50 would avert about 1.3 more breast cancer deaths per 1,000 women screened over a lifetime, and would raise false-positive results by about 60%.22US Preventive Services Task Force: Breast Cancer Screening Modeling across six models; about 60% more false positives and 2 more overdiagnosed cases per 1,000 women. A false positive is an abnormal result when no cancer is present. Reading those figures differently explains the disagreement: the USPSTF judged the net benefit moderate, while the Canadian draft weighed the trade less favorably in the forties.

When routine screening may stop

No body gives one stopping age that everyone shares. The USPSTF says the evidence is insufficient to judge benefits and harms at 75 or older, partly because no randomized trial included women that age.22US Preventive Services Task Force: Breast Cancer Screening Grade I statement for 75 or older; notes that no randomized trials enrolled women 75 or older. The Canadian draft suggested not screening from 75, citing concern that harms outweigh benefits beyond 74.

The American Cancer Society sets no age limit. It says screening should continue while a woman is in good health and expected to live at least 10 more years.33American Cancer Society: ACS Breast Cancer Screening Guidelines Last revised July 23, 2026; women 55 and older can move to every other year. In England, people aged 71 or over are not invited automatically but can ask their local service for an appointment every 3 years.44NHS: Who breast screening is for Page last reviewed 9 October 2025; over 71s can still have screening every 3 years by calling the service. The WHO fact sheet describes screening as usually aimed at women 50 to 69.77World Health Organization: Breast cancer Fact sheet dated 3 July 2026; describes mammography screening as usually for women aged 50 to 69.

Using these numbers

The bodies broadly agree on the years from 50 to 69 and split on the forties and on the upper limit. If you are below a body's starting age and wondering whether you can still have a mammogram, can I ask for a mammogram? explains how requests usually work. For the downsides behind these age choices, see benefits and harms of screening, and for the wider picture see the guide. Your own doctor or screening service has the final word on what applies to you.