Mammography Saves Lives
Talk to Your Doctor About Your Breast Cancer Risk by Age 25
More women under 40 are getting breast cancer.
As cancers in young women are often more deadly, current American College of Radiology® guidelines urge all women — especially Black and Jewish women, who are at higher risk — to talk with their doctor about their individual breast cancer risk by age 25.
|
The American College of Radiology® recommends you ask your doctor:
|
|
| The following resources can help with these discussions: |
|
Why Are Annual Mammograms Important?
|
click infographic to enlarge |
A mammogram is a noninvasive X-ray used to check breasts for breast cancer and other abnormalities. It is the only test shown to reduce breast cancer deaths. Mammograms can detect cancer early — when most treatable — long before it can be felt. This improves odds of survival and can help avoid more extensive treatment. |
Why Start at 40?
- One in six breast cancers occurs in women in their 40s.
- Mammography has helped reduce breast cancer mortality in the U.S. by nearly 40% since 1990.
- One study shows mammography screening cuts the risk of dying from breast cancer nearly in half.
- Three out of four women diagnosed with breast cancer have no family history of the disease and are not considered high risk.
Survivor Story
Diagnosed at 45, Robin urges women to start annual mammograms at age 40.
Mammography Misconceptions and Myths
Balancing Benefits and Risks |
Screening in Underserved Communities |
Breast Cancer Overdiagnosis |
||
| Watch more videos |
Preparing for Your Mammogram
Mammography Guidelines
The American College of Radiology (ACR) and Society of Breast Imaging (SBI) recommend that women start getting annual mammograms at age 40. The American Cancer Society (ACS), U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), ACR and SBI agree that this approach saves the most lives.
By not getting annual mammograms starting at age 40, you increase your chances of dying from breast cancer and the likelihood that you will experience more extensive treatment for any cancers found.
We include the guidelines below to make you aware of the options and help you make informed decisions.
- American Cancer Society (ACS) Breast Cancer Screening Guidelines recommend that women start regular mammograms no later than age 45 and that those who want to start at age 40 should have insured-access to mammograms.
- U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Breast Cancer Screening Recommendations do not call for routine mammograms for women ages 40–49 and recommend screening every other year for those ages 50–74.
Notes on USPSTF Breast Cancer Screening Recommendations:
- Published analysis shows that following these USPSTF guidelines would miss approximately a third of cancers and result in 6,500–10,000 additional breast cancer deaths each year.
- The federal government has barred Medicare and private insurance companies from basing mammography coverage on these USPSTF recommendations.
- These USPSTF recommendations have been scientifically rejected by every major medical organization with demonstrated expertise in breast cancer care.
Research
Significant scientific evidence supports recommendations to start annual mammograms at age 40. This approach saves more lives than delayed or less frequent screening. We hope that you find this information useful.
- According to National Cancer Institute data, since mammography screening became widespread in the 1980s, the U.S. breast cancer death rate, unchanged for the previous 50 years, has dropped nearly 40 percent.
- A study published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention shows mammography screening cuts the risk of dying from breast cancer nearly in half.
- Perhaps the largest (Hellquist et al) and longest running (Tabar et al) breast cancer screening studies in history, reconfirmed that regular screening cut breast cancer deaths by roughly a third in all women ages 40 and over (including women ages 40-49).
- A study in Cancer showed that more than 70 percent of women who died from breast cancer in their forties at major Harvard teaching hospitals were among the 20 percent of women not being screened.
- A study in the British Medical Journal shows that early detection of breast cancer – as with mammography – significantly improves breast cancer survival.
- An analysis in the American Journal of Roentgenology, showed that if USPSTF breast cancer screening guidelines were followed, approximately 6,500 additional women each year in the U.S. would die from breast cancer.
Start @ 40
The Mammographic Screening Trials: Commentary on the Recent Work by Olsen and Goetzsche.
Breast Cancer: Computer Simulation Method for Estimating Optimal Intervals for Screening.
Mammography Harms
JAMA — Consequences of False-Positive Screening Mammograms – Anxiety from false-positives is short-term with no lasting effects.
JAMA — Enthusiasm for Cancer Screening in the United States – Nearly all women who have a false-positive exam still endorse regular screening and want to know their status.
The Oncologist — Arguments Against Mammography Screening Continue to be Based on Faulty Science
Concerns Related to Commonly Reported Studies
Bias in the Medical Journals: A Commentary.
Canadian National Breast Screening Study: Assessment of Technical Quality by External Review.
- American Cancer Society expressed methodological/technological concerns about CNBSS.
- Breast cancer groups, such as BreastCancer.org, criticize CNBSS.