Mammograms should be done in two settings. One is as a screening setting in which case the woman has no complaints, you have no problems and you come in basically for an annual mammogram. Most women who have a mother, sister, or grandmother who had breast cancer at the age of 50 or older, or who are at high risk of breast cancer because of obesity or other reasons, should have regular mammograms (every one or two years) starting at age 40.
A mammogram is an x-ray picture of the breast. Mammograms can be used to check for breast cancer in women who have no signs or symptoms of the disease. This type of mammogram is called a screening mammogram. Screening mammograms usually involve two x-ray pictures, or images, of each breast. The x-ray images make it possible to detect tumors that cannot be felt.  For most women, who are not at especially high risk of breast cancer, regular mammograms can start at age 50. Or, to be cautious, a woman can get one mammogram earlier (around age 40 or 45) and then if it is normal, wait until she is 50 for her next mammogram. Unfortunately, younger women tend to have denser breasts, which often look white on a mammogram. Since cancer also shows up as white, mammograms are less accurate for younger women (and other women with dense breasts). 1. Most women who have a mother, sister, or grandmother who had breast cancer at the age of 50 or older, or who are at high risk of breast cancer because of obesity or other reasons, should have regular mammograms (every one or two years) starting at age 40. Unfortunately, younger women tend to have denser breasts, which often look white on a mammogram. Since cancer also shows up as white, mammograms are less accurate for younger women (and other women with dense breasts). For those women, a breast MRI is especially likely to be more accurate than a mammogram, and they are safer than mammograms. Breast MRIs are more expensive than mammograms, costing an average of $2,000 (compared to about $100 for a mammogram). Unfortunately, younger women tend to have denser breasts, which often look white on a mammogram. Since cancer also shows up as white, mammograms are less accurate for younger women (and other women with dense breasts). A mammogram is an X-ray picture of the breast. Doctors use a mammogram to look for early signs of breast cancer. Regular mammograms are the best tests doctors have to find breast cancer early, sometimes up to three years before it can be felt. When their breast cancer is found early, many women go on to live long and healthy lives. For instance, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force mammogram guidelines recommend women begin screening at age 50 and repeat the test every two years. The American Cancer Society and other organizations recommend screening begin at 40 and continue annually. Changes to mammogram guidelines might or might not be necessary in the future, as researchers continue studying this topic. Mayo Clinic supports screening beginning at age 40 because screening mammograms can detect breast abnormalities early in women in their 40s. Women at higher risk of breast cancer should not wait until they are 50 to have regular mammograms. Please remember that the higher age– 50– is only a guideline (not a strict rule) and only for screening women with no symptoms and not at high risk of breast cancer. Unfortunately, younger women tend to have denser breasts, which often look white on a mammogram. Since cancer also shows up as white, mammograms are less accurate for younger women (and other women with dense breasts). These screening mammograms should certainly start by the age of 40, and in women who have strong family histories of breast cancer or other risk factors, you may start as early as your early 30s. A diagnostic mammogram could be done at any interval and it's done when the symptom shows up, when the problem shows up, where the lump shows up. And this diagnostic mammogram might be accompanied by an ultrasound. Answer: Mammograms should be done in two settings. One is as a screening setting in which case the woman has no complaints, you have no problems and you come in basically for an annual mammogram. A diagnostic mammogram could be done at any interval and it's done when the symptom shows up, when the problem shows up, where the lump shows up. And this diagnostic mammogram might be accompanied by an ultrasound. The decision to start screening mammography in women prior to age 50 years should be an individual one, reads the draft. The expert panel also found adequate evidence that annual mammography results in harms for women aged 40 to 74.. Women who are at a higher risk of breast cancer, including those with a strong family history, should consult with their doctors about more frequent screening, the USPSTF advises. You'd be forgiven for thinking that exposure to radiation is also one of the main harms, but it isn't.
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how often should a mammogram be done