Breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancer that affect women, affecting an estimated one in eight women at some point in their life.
Mammogram screening is a good test to detect breast cancer early.
There are different screening recommendations from various US medical organizations, including the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), American Cancer Society (ACS), and American College of Radiology (ACR).
The USPSTF recommends that women at average risk between the ages of 50 and 74 years old can have a mammogram every two years and that for women between the ages of 40 and 49 years old, the decision to have a mammogram should be an individual one, based on a woman’s preferences, family history, and the potential benefits and harms of screening.
The ACS recommends that women start getting mammograms at the age of 45 years old and continue to have them annually until the age of 54 years old, after which they can switch to having them every two years or continue to have them annually.
The ACR recommends that women have a mammogram every year starting at the age of 40 years old. They believe that annual screening provides the best chance of detecting breast cancer early when it is most treatable.
It’s important to have a conversation with your doctor about your personal risk factors, including family history and lifetime exposure to estrogen (age of menarche).