Breast Cancer Screening

Breast Cancer Screening

Regular self-breast exams, as well as mammography can detect breast cancer. If you are a female age 40-74, it is recommended that you have a mammogram yearly or every other year, depending on your age. Check with your health care provider to see how often you should get your screening mammogram. 

According to the recent studies, for women in the United States, breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer incidence and the second leading cause of cancer death. In the coming year, an estimated 340,000 new breast cancer cases will be diagnosed, and more than 43,000 women will die of breast cancer.

Current estimates are that one in eight women will develop breast cancer in her lifetime. A mammogram is an excellent tool for finding breast cancer, particularly in women age 50 and over. Breast cancer is accurately diagnosed through mammography in about 78% of all women tested, while diagnostic accuracy rises to about 83% for women over 50. If breast cancer is found early, there are more treatment options and a better chance for survival. Women whose breast cancer is detected at an early stage have a 93 - 100 percent chance of cure.

Risk factors for breast cancer include age, family history, early menarche (age 12 years or younger), late menopause (age 55 or older), late age at first pregnancy (age 30 years or older), or diet, and alcohol consumption.