To find breast cancer early, the NCI recommends that:
- Women in their 40s and older should have mammograms (pictures of the breast made with x-rays) every one to two years.
- Women who are at higher than average risk of breast cancer should talk with their health care providers about whether to have mammograms before age 40 and how often to have them.
Screening mammograms can often show a breast lump before it can be felt. They also can show a cluster of very tiny specks of calcium. These specks are called microcalcifications. Lumps or specks can be signs of cancer.
If the doctor sees an abnormal area on the mammogram, the woman may need more pictures taken. Also, the woman may need to have a biopsy. A biopsy is the only way to tell for sure if cancer is present.
Mammograms are the best tool doctors have to find breast cancer early. However, it is good for a woman to keep in mind that:
- A mammogram may miss some cancers that are present. (This is called a "false negative.")
- A mammogram may show things that turn out not to be cancer. (This is called a "false positive.")
- Some fast-growing tumors may already have spread to other parts of the body before a mammogram detects them.
Mammograms (as well as dental x-rays, and other routine x-rays) use very small doses of radiation. Although the benefits nearly always outweigh the risks, repeated exposure to x-rays could be harmful. It is a good idea for a woman to talk with her health care providers about the need for each x-ray and to ask about the use of shields during the x-ray to protect other parts of the body.
