Canadian Task Force on Preventative Health Care has laid out some new recommendations for breast cancer screening. In a bid to curb over diagnosis, the task force has suggested some ways to scale back screening so as not spend on unnecessary biopsies, mastectomies, and other treatments. Here are some of the recommendations: • Mammograms will now be performed on women between the ages of 50 and 74 every two to three years, instead of yearly on women between the ages of 50 and 69. • It is recommended that women under 50 receive no mammograms (currently it's normal for women over 40 to get yearly mammograms) • It's suggested that doctors no longer perform breast exams • Physicians are to suggest women no longer examine themselves for breast lumps • Women between the ages of 70 and 74 are encouraged to get mammograms every two to three years. Under the current guidelines, mammograms are not recommended for this age group at all. It is important to note that the Task Force's recommendations do not apply to women who have a family history of breast cancer, or those with the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes. Speak to your family doctor and come up with a system that's right for you. What do you think of the new recommended breast cancer screening guidelines?