4 Key Factors for Managing High Blood Pressure
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When Should I Start Having Routine Mammograms?
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends women start having routine mammograms at 40. Are you ready to schedule your screening?
In honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Dr. Michele Reed and our team of skilled and compassionate medical professionals at MS Family Medicine Health Care PC in Mineola and Rosedale, New York, want to talk about breast cancer screening, when to start, frequency of screenings, and why it’s so important.
When to start mammograms
It’s generally recommended that women start routine mammogram screenings for breast cancer at 40. However, it’s not mandatory.
Women 40-44 who are at average risk of breast cancer can discuss the benefits and risks of getting a mammogram with their doctor and decide whether they want to start screening or not.
If you don’t start at 40, you should begin annual screenings at 45 and continue until 54. At 55, women can decide to get mammograms every two years instead of every year.
If you have a family history of breast cancer, a personal history of breast cancer, or carry the breast cancer gene, we may recommend starting mammograms at an earlier age. Finding breast cancer during the early stages improves your chances of full recovery.
What to expect
Mammograms can save your life. Don’t put off screening because of things you heard friends say about their mammograms. A mammogram is an X-ray of your breast tissue taken to look for abnormal tissue.
During the test, a trained specialist places your breast between two plates to spread your breast tissue so they can get a clear and comprehensive image. They reposition you and your breast to get pictures from all angles.
You may feel some pressure when your specialist presses the plates to flatten your breast, but you shouldn’t feel any pain. They then take pictures of the other breast following the same routine.
A radiologist reviews your images. The results are either negative (no suspicious findings) or positive (abnormal findings that need further testing).
Why mammograms are important
More than 300,000 women will find out they have breast cancer this year. Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women, after skin cancer, and the second deadliest cancer (lung cancer is first).
Rates of women dying from cancer have been declining since 1989 because of screenings.
It’s less common to find breast cancer in women before age 45, but those early images serve as a baseline. Routine mammograms lets us see how your breast tissue changes over time, making it easier to spot abnormalities.
Are you ready to start having routine mammograms? We can set up your test. Call us today or request an appointment online anytime to get things started.
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