Are you prepared for your yearly mammogram? When to start?

Breast cancer is the most common cancer type in women and the second leading cause of cancer deaths among women in the Americas. There are more than 462,000 new cases and almost 100,000 deaths from breast cancer annually in the Americas, according to Pan American Health Organizacion (PAHO). 

The mammogram continues to be the most effective screening test for diagnosing cancer in its early stages, when it is possible to treat it and, in many cases, cure it.

After much debate on the best time to start mammography and the number of tests based on risk and family history of breast cancer, among other factors, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force says that:

• The decision to start screening mammography in women before age 50 is a personal choice. Women who value the potential benefit over the potential harms (in general, the possibility of overtreatment) may decide to start screening every two years between ages 40 and 49. 
• For women with an average risk of breast cancer, screening mammography has the greatest benefit when done every two years between ages 50 and 74.In all age groups, women aged 60 to 69 years have the greatest chances of avoiding death by breast cancer through mammography. 
• In all age groups, women aged 60 to 69 years have the greatest chances of avoiding death by breast cancer through mammography. 
• While screening mammography in women aged 40 to 49 years can reduce the risk of death by breast cancer, the number of avoided deaths is smaller than that in older women, and the number of false positives and unnecessary biopsies is greater. The benefit/harm balance is likely to improve as women age from their early to late 40s. 
• In addition to false positives and unnecessary biopsies, all women who have regular mammography screening run the risk of receiving a diagnosis and treatment of invasive or noninvasive breast cancer that otherwise would not have become a threat to their health during their life (known as “overdiagnosis”). 
• Starting mammography at an earlier age and doing them more often can increase the risk of overdiagnosis and subsequent overtreatment. 
• Women with a parent, sibling, or child with breast cancer have a greater risk of developing breast cancer. For this reason, they may benefit more than women with an average risk if they start screening at age 40.

It is always important to discuss all options with your primary care physician before making any decisions on monitoring and treatment.

This story was produced using content from original studies or reports, as well as other medical research and health and public health sources cited in links throughout the article.