When do you need to go through mammography screening, and how often do you need it?

Medical Video: When to Get a Mammogram

Almost every adult woman is encouraged to undergo mammography regularly throughout her life. Mammography is a breast examination technique to detect and diagnose breast cancer. This procedure is especially useful for women who have a family history of breast cancer. So, do women need to have mammography at what age, and how often do they do it? Here's the explanation.

What is the function of mammography?

Mammography functions to detect and diagnose breast problems or diseases, including breast cancer. The faster the mammography is done, the cancer is easier to treat and cure.

Mammography cannot prevent breast cancer, but can save lives by detecting cancer as early as possible even if you don't show any symptoms.

What is the mammography for breast cancer detection like?

Mammography is a medical procedure that uses low-dose x-ray to detect growth or abnormal changes in breast tissue, which can indicate the presence of cancer. Basically, a mammogram is an x-ray for the chest.

During shooting, you may be asked to stand or sit depending on the test facility. Your breasts will be affixed to the X-ray scanner screen, then a compressor consisting of two plastic plates will press your breast down to flatten the tissue. This will show the results of a clearer picture of your breast. You may be required to hold your breath every time you take a picture. During a mammogram, you may feel a little pain or discomfort, but it won't last long.

After the procedure is complete, the mammography report will be ready in 30 days. Images taken in the mammography process are called mammograms (see below).

Examples of mammogram results (source: http://guardianlv.com/)

In mammograms, dense breast tissue appears white while low density fat tissue will be gray. The presence of tumor cells will be shown with white images just like dense breast tissue.

During the procedure, the doctor will check the results of the image displayed on the scanner screen and ask the radiologist to take several additional pictures if the results that already appear are less clear or need further examination. Don't panic, this is common practice.

What age should mammography start, and how often should it be?

For most women who are not at high risk of breast cancer, regular mammograms do not need to start before the age of 50 years. But if you are not at high risk and still want to be alert, you may choose to undergo mammography for the first time at around 40-44 years of age. If the results are normal, wait until your 50th birthday to get the next mammogram.

What is important to understand, the risk of breast cancer increases with age. That is why it is very important for all women of menopause to have regular mammography.

The cancer foundation in the United States, The American Cancer Society, recommends that women at risk for breast cancer should have an average mammography starting at age 45 and continuing routinely every following year.

Women aged 45 to 54 years must get it mammography every year. Meanwhile, women aged 55 years and over must have mammography every time Once every two years after his first mammography, or can continue screening once a year.

If you have got your first mammogram, screening should continue as long as you are healthy and are expected to live another 10 years or longer.

Discuss with the doctor for more details

Basically, when you have to start getting a mammogram and how routine it must be for the future is a personal decision between you and your doctor. If you are over 40 years old, talk to your doctor when you should start screening mammograms.

Some doctors may recommend starting mammography earlier than 40 years after seeing your risk factors.

When do you need to go through mammography screening, and how often do you need it?

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