Hours following the American College of Physicians' release of updated breast cancer screening guidance, two major radiology organizations fired back — calling the recommendations outdated, potentially dangerous, and out of step with nearly every other national cancer society.

The American College of Radiology (ACR) and Society of Breast Imaging (SBI) said the ACP's recommendation to screen only patients aged 50 to 74 years every other year could result in up to 10,000 additional breast cancer deaths in the US each year. The groups urged women to begin annual screening at age 40 — a position they say is shared by the American Cancer Society, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, the American Society of Surgical Oncology, and the American Society of Breast Surgeons, among others.

The ACR and SBI also took issue with the ACP's guidance on dense breasts, arguing that relying solely on digital breast tomosynthesis falls short of what current research supports for that population.

The radiology groups disputed the ACP's characterization of screening harms, calling claims around overdiagnosis and false positives overstated. They pointed to National Cancer Institute data showing a 40% drop in breast cancer death rates since widespread screening began in the 1980s.

The ACP's guidance, presented today at its Internal Medicine Meeting 2026 in San Francisco, applies only to average-risk, asymptomatic patients. According to a press release from the American College of Radiology, the ACR and SBI urge clinicians to disregard the new ACP recommendations and continue following annual screening guidelines. [Read our full coverage of the ACP guidelines here.]