Breast Cancer Screening

Topic Overview

The type and frequency of breast cancer screening that is best for you changes as you age.

• Ages 18 to 39: Some experts recommend that women have a clinical breast exam every 3 years, starting at age 20. Talk with your doctor about how often you should have a breast exam. If you have a high risk for developing breast cancer, talk to your doctor about when to begin having routine mammograms and other screening tests, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
• Ages 40 and older: It is important for women to discuss with their doctors the medical evidence concerning mammograms before deciding how often to have a mammogram.
  • The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends¹:
    • Ages 40 to 49: The USPSTF recommends that the decision to start having regular mammograms every 2 years should be an individual one. This decision should be based on a woman's situation, her individual risk, and what she prefers.
    • Ages 50 to 74: The USPSTF recommends routine mammograms every 2 years for women in this age group.
  • Some organizations recommend mammograms every year for women at average risk starting at age 40 and continuing for as long as she is in good health.

You can find out your personal risk level at www.cancer.gov/bcrisktool.

The risk of breast cancer increases with age, and the age at which testing no longer helps reduce death from breast cancer is not known. If you are 75 or older, talk to your health professional about mammography as a regular part of your health care plan.

Early detection is an important factor in the success of breast cancer treatment. The earlier breast cancer is found, the more easily and successfully it can be treated. The two methods commonly used for early detection are:

• Mammogram. A mammogram is an X-ray of the breast that can often find tumors that are too small for you or your doctor to feel. Experts differ in their recommendations about when or how often women should have mammograms. Some recommend you begin screening at age 40 and some recommend you begin screening at age 50. Your doctor may suggest that you have a screening mammogram at a younger age if you have risk factors for breast cancer.

  Breast Cancer Screening: When Should I Start Having Mammograms?

• Clinical breast exam (CBE). During a clinical breast exam, your doctor will carefully feel your breasts and under your arms to check for lumps or other unusual changes. Talk to your doctor about whether to have a clinical breast exam.

Make sure you know what your breasts normally look and feel like. When you know what is normal for you, you are better able to notice changes. Tell your doctor right away if you notice any changes in your breasts.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the breast may be used as a screening test for women who have a high risk of breast cancer. This includes women who test positive for the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene, or have two or more close family members who have had breast cancer before age 50. MRI may also be used to evaluate the opposite breast in women diagnosed with breast cancer.

For more information, see the topic Breast Cancer.

Related Information

• Breast Cancer
• Early Disease Detection

References

Citations

1. U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (2002). Screening for breast cancer. Available online: http://www.ahrq.gov/clinic/uspstf/uspsbrca.htm.

Other Works Consulted

• American Cancer Society (2009). Prevention and Early Detection: American Cancer Society Guidelines for the Early Detection of Cancer. Atlanta: American Cancer Society. Available online: http://www.cancer.org/docroot/PED/content/ped_2_3X_ACS_Cancer_Detection_Guidelines_36.asp.

• U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (2002). Screening for breast cancer. Available online: http://www.ahrq.gov/clinic/uspstf/uspsbrca.htm.

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