If your mammogram shows something abnormal, you will need follow-up tests to check whether or not the finding is breast cancer.
These tests may include a follow-up mammogram diagnostic mammogram , breast ultrasound or breast MRI. Sometimes, a biopsy is needed. A biopsy removes a small amount of tissue in the breast to check for cancer. If you have an abnormal finding on a mammogram, try not to panic or worry. Most abnormal findings are not breast cancer [ 22 ].
Learn more about follow-up after an abnormal mammogram. Despite some ongoing debate about the balance of benefits and risks, for most women, mammography is the most effective breast cancer screening test used today. While any health decision is a personal one that involves weighing benefits and risks, most health organizations recommend women get mammograms on a regular basis.
Figure 3. Susan G. Learn about breast cancer screening recommendations for women at higher than average risk. While the radiation exposure during mammography can increase the risk of breast cancer over time, this increase in risk is very small [ ]. Learn more about radiation exposure during a mammogram. Donate Now. Skip to content. Weighing the Benefits and Risks of Screening Mammography Mammography is a screening test for breast cancer. There are questions related to: How much benefit mammography offers The over-diagnosis and over-treatment of ductal carcinoma in situ DCIS and small, slow-growing invasive breast cancers This has led to different recommendations for when to start getting screening mammograms and how often to have them.
Benefits of mammography The benefits of screening mammography vary by age. Benefits of mammography by age group Age group A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials found: Women who got mammograms may have had a lower risk of dying from breast cancer compared to women who did not get mammograms.
Over-diagnosis and over-treatment Over-diagnosis and over-treatment are the main risks of screening mammography. In recent years, the British breast screening program has been slammed for focusing on the benefits of mammograms and downplaying the risks. Maggie Wilcox, a breast cancer survivor and member of the expert panel, said the current information on mammograms given to British women was inadequate. Knowing what she knows now about the problem of overtreatment, Wilcox says she still would have chosen to get screened.
Nearly , U. Risk factors include age, family history, and genetics, but WebMD reports that 75 percent of all women who develop breast cancer have no known risk factors. Please enter email address to continue. Please enter valid email address to continue. Chrome Safari Continue. Be the first to know. She also agreed with Duffy that "technology for mammography has improved since the s and we are able to find more cancers and smaller cancers before it has spread.
This is why every patient should have a screening mammogram every year starting at age 40 -- sometimes sooner, if they have risk factors such as family history or a genetic mutation which puts them at increased risk for developing breast cancer.
For more on breast cancer screening, head to the American Cancer Society. Community Healthcare Services CHS system 2-line horizontal solid 2 CHS Icon Search bariatrics behavioral cancer diagnostic heart neuro orthopedics womens childbirth classes doctor health fairs immediate care lectures locations remote access screenings services support groups weight management. By Keyword. By Topic all topics. From Date. To Date. Back to Health Library.
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