Breast Cancer: Early Detection

Early diagnosis is the key to surviving breast cancer.

Mammography can prevent thousands of breast cancer deaths each year. Regular screening mammograms are the best way to detect breast cancer early, when it is easiest to treat.

All women aged 40 and over should get a mammogram and clinical breast exam every year, and perform monthly breast self-examination. Women at particularly high risk should talk with their doctors about starting screening earlier. Women aged 20-39 should have a clinical breast exam every three years and should perform monthly breast self-examination.

When having a mammogram, women should ask their doctor when they can expect to receive the results. New regulations require mammography facilities to send women their results within 30 days.

Older women are at highest risk for breast cancer, yet they are the least likely to get mammograms.

The American Cancer Society can tell women where they can get a mammogram. Call 1-800-ACS-2345.

By law, all mammography facilities must be certified by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (unless it is a Veterans Health Administration facility). This means they must meet standards for the equipment used, people who work there, and records that are kept.

Mammography can detect cancers several years before a woman or her health care provider can feel a lump.

Breast abnormalities are discovered in one of three ways: by a woman herself, by her health care provider during a physical exam, or by a mammogram. Many breast cancers are found by the woman herself, but the smallest cancers are found by mammograms.

Low-cost and free mammograms are available to low-income women through their local or state health department.

Annual mammograms are covered by Medicare and Medicaid.

Most breast lumps are not cancer.

Source: American Cancer Society, Inc.