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    US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF)

    Also known as USPSTF, Task Force, US Preventive Services Task Force, U.S. Preventive Services Task Force

    The US Preventive Services Task Force is an independent volunteer panel, created in 1984, that grades preventive services such as cancer screening by the strength of evidence.[1][2] Its recommendations determine which services many Americans get at no cost. In 2026 it had not met for over a year, and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. replaced its leadership.[3][4][5]

    Editor reviewedStrict sourcingUpdated WikiHealth and medicine, Tech policy
    Key facts

    The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) is the main body that decides which cancer screening tests are recommended for Americans without symptoms. It was created in 1984 as a scientifically independent panel of volunteer experts in prevention and evidence-based medicine.[1] Since 1998 the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has convened and supported it.[6]

    This page is not medical advice. Recommendations describe groups of people. Talk to a clinician about your own screening.

    How it works

    The task force reviews published evidence and grades each preventive service A, B, C or D, or issues an I statement when the evidence is insufficient. Grades reflect the strength of evidence and the balance of benefits and harms, and cost is not considered.[2] Recommendations apply only to people without signs or symptoms of the condition.[7] They carry financial weight: they are the reason many Americans can get screening colonoscopies and mammograms at no cost.[3]

    Cancer screening recommendations

    As of October 2026 the task force’s current cancer screening recommendations are:

    CancerRecommendationYear
    BreastMammogram every 2 years, women 40–74 (B); evidence insufficient at 75+ and for supplemental imaging of dense breasts (I)[8][9]2024
    ColorectalAdults 50–75 (A) and 45–49 (B); selective at 76–85 (C)[10]2021
    LungYearly low-dose CT, ages 50–80 with 20 pack-years who smoke or quit within 15 years (B)[11]2021
    CervicalCytology every 3 years at 21–29; cytology, HPV testing or co-testing at 30–65; update in progress[12]2018
    ProstateIndividual decision at 55–69 (C); against at 70+ (D); update in progress[13]2018

    The 2021 colorectal recommendation does not include blood tests, which the task force said had limited evidence at the time.[14] Since then the FDA has approved two colorectal screening blood tests.[15][16] Other bodies have moved faster on cervical screening: in 2026 the American Cancer Society and HRSA guidelines endorsed by ACOG added self-collected HPV testing.[17][18]

    Control and the 2026 overhaul

    In 2025 the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in Kennedy v. Braidwood Management that the health secretary can appoint task force members, placing the panel under the secretary’s authority.[19] By May 2026 the task force had not met for more than a year, and half of its 16 seats were empty.[4] In letters dated 11 May 2026, Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. removed its two leaders, John Wong and Esa Davis.[20]

    On 17 September 2026 Kennedy named eight new members, with pediatric hematologist-oncologist Seth Corey as chair. Five are medical specialists, a departure from the task force’s history of generalist clinicians.[5] As of that announcement the panel still had not met for more than a year.[4]

    Why it matters for cancer screening

    The task force’s cervical and prostate recommendations are both marked “update in progress”.[12][13] New tests such as multi-cancer blood tests are reaching the FDA while it has been inactive.[21] See the cancer screening explainer for how US and NHS recommendations compare, and the cancer screening tracker for dated developments.

    Next in the crash course

    Developing in Health

    Questions readers ask

    What does the USPSTF do?

    It is an independent volunteer panel of prevention experts that makes evidence-based recommendations on preventive services such as screening, and grades each one A, B, C, D or I.[1][2]

    Why do USPSTF grades matter for insurance?

    Its recommendations determine which preventive services, such as screening colonoscopies and mammograms, many Americans can receive at no cost.[3]

    Does the USPSTF consider cost?

    No. It says it does not consider the cost of a preventive service when grading a recommendation.[2]

    Who controls the USPSTF's membership?

    The health secretary. In 2025 the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in Kennedy v. Braidwood Management that the secretary can appoint members.[19]

    What happened to the USPSTF in 2026?

    It had not met for more than a year by September 2026. Kennedy removed its two leaders in May and named eight new members, mostly specialists, on 17 September 2026.[4][20][5]

    Sources

    · 21 claims from 12 publishers

    Each numbered claim is a statement we checked against the sources listed with it. Tap a number in the text to see its sources in place.

    1. [1]

      The USPSTF was created in 1984 as an independent, volunteer panel of national experts in prevention and evidence-based medicine. confirmedas of 2026-10-11

      • About the USPSTF · US Preventive Services Task Force · Who We Are (retrieved 2026-10-11)
    2. [2]

      The USPSTF gives each recommendation a letter grade (A, B, C, D or an I statement) based on the strength of evidence and the balance of benefits and harms, and does not consider cost. confirmedas of 2026-10-11

      • About the USPSTF · US Preventive Services Task Force · What We Do (retrieved 2026-10-11)
      • About the USPSTF · US Preventive Services Task Force · What We Do (retrieved 2026-10-11)
    3. [3]

      USPSTF recommendations determine which preventive services, such as screening colonoscopies and mammograms, many Americans can get at no cost. confirmedas of 2026-10-11

    4. [4]

      As of September 2026 the USPSTF had not met for more than a year after its meetings were cancelled by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. confirmedas of 2026-09-17

    5. [5]

      On 17 September 2026 Kennedy named eight new USPSTF members, with pediatric hematologist-oncologist Seth Corey as chair; most are specialists, a departure from the panel's generalist make-up. confirmedas of 2026-09-17

    6. [6]

      Since 1998 the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has been authorised by Congress to convene and support the USPSTF. confirmedas of 2026-10-11

      • About the USPSTF · US Preventive Services Task Force · Who We Are (retrieved 2026-10-11)
    7. [7]

      USPSTF recommendations apply only to people without signs or symptoms of the condition. confirmedas of 2026-10-11

      • About the USPSTF · US Preventive Services Task Force · What We Do (retrieved 2026-10-11)
    8. [8]

      The USPSTF (April 2024) recommends biennial screening mammography for women aged 40 to 74 (grade B). confirmedas of 2026-10-11

    9. [9]

      The USPSTF found the evidence insufficient (I statement) to assess screening mammography in women 75 or older, and supplemental ultrasound or MRI for women with dense breasts after a negative mammogram. confirmedas of 2026-10-11

    10. [10]

      The USPSTF (May 2021) recommends colorectal cancer screening for all adults aged 50 to 75 (grade A) and adults aged 45 to 49 (grade B), and selective screening at 76 to 85 (grade C). confirmedas of 2026-10-11

    11. [11]

      The USPSTF (March 2021) recommends annual low-dose CT lung screening for adults aged 50 to 80 with a 20 pack-year smoking history who smoke now or quit within the past 15 years (grade B). confirmedas of 2026-10-11

    12. [12]

      The USPSTF's current cervical recommendation (August 2018) is cytology every 3 years at ages 21 to 29, and at 30 to 65 cytology every 3 years, high-risk HPV testing alone every 5 years or co-testing every 5 years; an update is in progress. confirmedas of 2026-10-11

    13. [13]

      The USPSTF (May 2018) says PSA screening for men aged 55 to 69 should be an individual decision (grade C) and recommends against it at 70 and older (grade D); an update is in progress. confirmedas of 2026-10-11

    14. [14]

      The 2021 USPSTF colorectal recommendation does not include blood (serum) tests, urine tests or capsule endoscopy because of limited evidence. confirmedas of 2026-10-11

    15. [15]

      Shield is FDA-approved for colorectal cancer screening in average-risk adults 45 and older; positive results should be followed by colonoscopy, its labelling says it has limited detection (55% to 65%) of stage I cancer and does not detect 87% of precancerous lesions, and it is not indicated for people at high risk, such as those with inflammatory bowel disease or a family history of colorectal cancer. confirmedas of 2026-10-11

    16. [16]

      On 27 July 2026 the FDA approved Freenome's SimpleScreen CRC blood test for average-risk adults 45 and older; in the PREEMPT CRC study it detected 81.1% of colorectal cancers and 13.7% of advanced precancerous lesions, with 90.4% specificity, and Abbott will sell it in the US. A study investigator quoted by Freenome said a blood test offers another way to reach unscreened patients. confirmedas of 2026-07-27

    17. [17]

      The American Cancer Society's January 2026 cervical guideline update accepts self-collected vaginal HPV samples for average-risk people aged 25 to 65 (clinician collection preferred), with repeat testing 3 years after a negative self-collected test. confirmedas of 2026-10-11

    18. [18]

      On 23 April 2026 ACOG endorsed updated HRSA Women's Preventive Services guidelines that add patient-collected HPV testing every 3 years as an option at ages 30 to 65, with clinician primary HPV testing every 5 years preferred. confirmedas of 2026-04-23

    19. [19]

      In 2025 the US Supreme Court (Kennedy v. Braidwood Management) ruled 6-3 that the health secretary can appoint USPSTF members, placing the task force under the secretary's authority. confirmedas of 2026-10-11

    20. [20]

      In letters dated 11 May 2026, Kennedy removed the task force's two leaders, John Wong and Esa Davis. confirmedas of 2026-05-20

    21. [21]

      On 23 September 2026 an FDA advisory panel voted 7-2 with one abstention that Galleri's benefits outweigh its risks, unanimously on safety, and 6-4 on effectiveness, for screening adults aged 50 and older; the FDA is not bound by the vote. confirmedas of 2026-09-23

    Revision history (1)
    1. Page created.

    Created Oct 11, 2026. Last reviewed by an editor on Oct 11, 2026. Next scheduled review: Jan 11, 2027.

    Cite this page

    "US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF)." ContentLora, updated Oct 11, 2026. https://contentlora.com/wiki/uspstf

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