How Often Do I Need a Mammogram?

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers affecting women, though men can also be affected. It occurs when cells in your breasts begin to multiply out of control, forming masses called tumors. Some 80% of breast cancer cases are invasive, meaning the tumor spreads from your breast to other parts of your body.

Breast cancer generally affects women 50 and older, but it can start at a younger age, necessitating a screening test that detects the cancerous cells. That test is a mammogram, which is designed to detect cancerous cells before a mass becomes visible or can be felt. Early detection is key to effective treatment. 

At Primecare Family Practice, board-certified family practitioners Maryline Ongangi, APRN, FNP-C, and Lewis Nyantika, APRN, FNP-C, offer primary and preventive healthcare services at their Arlington, Texas, office. One preventive screening they recommend is a mammogram, but how often should you be screened? Here’s what the experts have to say.

What are the different types of mammograms?

A mammogram is a test that sends a low dose of X-rays into your breast tissue, and it’s considered the gold standard for detecting breast tissue changes before they develop into cancerous masses.

A screening mammogram is performed when the doctor wants to look for the early signs of breast cancer before any symptoms develop.

A diagnostic mammogram is performed to look for abnormalities if you already have symptoms, such as breast pain, a lump, nipple discharge, or changes in the breast’s skin.

Breast cancer is common. Aside from skin cancer, it’s the most common cancer affecting women, and it represents 15% of all new cancer diagnoses in the United States. Mammograms are important because early diagnosis of breast cancer is important for determining the survival rate. When the cancer is detected early, the five-year survival rate is 99%.

Mammograms also come in 2D and 3D forms.

A 2D mammogram takes pictures of each breast from two different angles — typically from top to bottom and side to side.

A 3D mammogram compresses each breast once, and the machine takes several X-rays as it moves in an arc over the tissue. A computer assembles the images in “slices,” which allows the radiologist to view the tissues in 3D.

It’s important to understand that while mammograms can help detect cancer, they can’t diagnose cancer – they show abnormal breast tissue, but they can’t prove that the tissue is cancerous or not. Instead, they’re a tool that allows doctors to decide whether you need additional testing, like a breast biopsy, which can definitively determine if the tissue is cancerous.

When should I begin getting mammograms regularly?

The Society of Breast Imaging recommends that women who have an average risk for breast cancer begin getting mammograms at age 40 and continue to get one each succeeding year.

Women at an increased risk of breast cancer (i.e., have genetic factors) should discuss with their doctor whether they should begin mammography screening earlier than 40, have additional tests (e.g., breast ultrasound or breast MRI), or have more frequent mammograms.

Keep in mind that the purpose of mammography is detection, not prevention. That’s why it’s so important that you get regularly screened. It increases the chance of detecting cancer when the mass is small and it’s most easily treated, which improves survival.

Have more questions about mammograms and when you should receive them? Primecare Family Practice can help. Call the office at 817-873-3710 to schedule, or book online with us today.