SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women; New guidelines announced Tuesday, advise women to be screened for the deadly disease at an earlier age.

One in 8 women in the United States are going to develop invasive breast cancer in their life. Now new guidelines, from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, recommends that women get screened for breast cancer every other year, starting at the age of 40 instead of 50.

Dr. Jennifer Hadro, Radiologist at Baystate Health spoke with 22News, saying this is a step in the right direction, because early detection can save lives, “Earlier detection enables us to minimize the treatment a patient might need,” says Hadro. “it decreases the chance of the cancer spreading, to lymph nodes and other portions of the body the earlier its found”

According to the National Cancer Institute, from 2015 to 2019, the rate of breast cancer among women ages 40 to 49 increased 2% each year. The task force says that women screening at the age of 40 could save about 20% more lives.

The new recommendations is not meant to apply to women who have risk factors, such as a genetic marker for breast cancer, and need to be screened more frequently. Dr. Hadro recommends that women younger than 40 should talk with their doctor if they have any concerns and discuss testing and screening for the disease.

The task force also recommends women with dense breasts before the age of 50 to get an MRI each year.