Mammograms and Breast Cancer Screening: What to Know

When should you start mammogram screening?

The most current national recommendations agree: women at average risk should be offered screening mammography starting at age 40. The USPSTF updated its recommendation in 2024 to lower the starting age from 50 to 40, and ACOG issued an update the same year aligning its guidance. If you have a strong family history of breast cancer, a known genetic risk such as a BRCA mutation, or other risk factors, your provider may discuss starting earlier or screening more often than the general recommendation.

How often should you get a mammogram?

For women at average risk, the USPSTF recommends screening every two years, while ACOG recommends every one to two years. The right interval depends on your risk, your breast density, and the guidance your provider follows. What matters most is that you are screened on a regular schedule rather than skipping years, because regular screening is what allows changes to be caught early.

• USPSTF: every two years from ages 40 to 74.
• ACOG: every one to two years starting at 40, through at least age 75.
• Women 75 and older: discuss with your provider, since evidence is limited.
• Higher-risk women may be advised to start earlier or screen more often.

What happens during a screening mammogram?

A screening mammogram is a low-dose X-ray of the breast taken with a machine that compresses each breast briefly between two plates to spread the tissue. Each breast is imaged separately, and the whole appointment typically takes about 20 minutes. Some women find the compression uncomfortable, but it lasts only seconds per image. Results are usually sent to your provider, and a recommendation for more images or an ultrasound is common and does not mean cancer is present: most women called back for extra views turn out not to have cancer.

What about dense breast tissue?

About half of women undergoing screening have dense breast tissue, which can make a mammogram harder to read and is itself a risk factor for breast cancer. Georgia law requires that women be notified when mammograms show dense breast tissue. If you have dense tissue, your provider can talk with you about whether supplemental imaging such as breast ultrasound or MRI is worth considering for your situation.

• Dense tissue is common and is not an abnormal finding by itself.
• It can make cancers harder to see on a mammogram.
• Supplemental screening decisions are individualized and risk-based.
• Ask your provider what, if anything, is recommended for you.

How does breast screening fit into primary care at TruHealth?

Well-woman exams at TruHealth include a clinical breast examination and a discussion of your screening history and risk. The practice can order screening mammograms, coordinate follow-up when extra imaging is recommended, and talk you through results in plain language. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a good reminder to check whether you are due for screening. If you are unsure when you last had a mammogram, a visit is a simple way to find out.