Diagnosis

Click the icon to see an image of a breast self-exam.

Mammograms

Current Recommendations for Screening. Mammograms are very effective low-radiation screening methods for breast cancer. At this time, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends screening mammograms, with or without breast examination, every 1 - 2 years for all women over age 40. After age 50 screening should be annual. (Women over age 65 account for most new cases of breast cancer.) Women with risk factors for breast cancer, including a close family member with the disease, should consider having annual mammograms starting 10 years earlier than the age at which the relative was diagnosed. (Uninsured women or those who have not been referred to a mammogram center can contact their local American Cancer Society for available low-cost programs.)

Click the icon to see an image of a mammogram.

Issues Involved with Screening. Mammograms are not foolproof. They miss up to 25% of cancers (which can sometimes be caught on a physical examination). Furthermore, between 80 - 90% of suspicious mammograms turn out to be benign. According to one study, by the time a woman has nine mammograms, she has a 43% chance of having a false-positive mammogram (one that suggests cancer that isn't really there). This means many women who receive biopsies do not have cancer (but the only way to be sure is to perform the biopsy). Digital mammography is a recent technique that converts the image of the breast so it can be viewed and manipulated on a computer screen. It is improving accuracy, but no screening technique is perfect.

Even given current recommendations, there are several issues as to who should screen be screened and when to screen.

For Women between Ages 50 and 60. Evidence suggests that annual mammograms save lives in this age group. Furthermore, according to one study, because regular screening tends to find cancers in earlier stages, there has also been a decline in the number of mastectomies (surgical removal of the breast).