Women's screening preferences shift after being informed about the 2024 USPSTF breast cancer screening guideline.
Tamar Parmet, Grant Yoder, Kirsten McCaffery and 7 others
PMID 41819785WHAT IT FOUND
After reading the 2024 breast cancer screening guideline update, more women preferred starting at their current age and screening every 2 years.
They still rated benefits, personal risk, family history, false positives, and overdiagnosis as important to know.
Key findings
01Among 301 women, more reported wanting to screen at their current age after reading the guideline update (258 post vs 247 pre).
02The survey reported 136 women preferring every 2 years after the update versus 102 before, and 139 preferring every year after versus 173 before.
03The most important influences on screening preferences were benefits (mean 3.64), personal breast cancer risk (3.61), and family history (3.48); all information topics were rated important or very important on average.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The outcomes were self-reported preferences and intentions, not actual mammography behavior. The sample was already well-informed from a prior decision aid and may be more engaged than the general population. Participants were explicitly told the guideline had changed, which may not match routine care where they hear recommendations without prior guideline context. The sample came from two academic health systems and may not reflect U.S. race, ethnicity, education, or access to preventive care. Eligibility was narrow: women aged 39 to 49 with an upcoming well visit, no known BRCA 1 or 2 mutation, and no prior breast cancer.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest and no known competing financial interests or personal relationships. No funding source is stated.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the preference shift as evidence that mammography behavior changed or that the guideline alone caused it. The survey measured stated preferences after participants were explicitly informed of the guideline change, and the sample was already well-informed and drawn from two academic health systems.