How often should you get a Breast Cancer Screening done?

Breast cancer Women ages 40 to 44 should have the choice to beginning  annual breast cancer screening with mammograms (x-rays of the breast) if they wish to do so. Women age start  45 to 54 should get mammograms every year. Women 55 and older should switch to mammograms every 2 years, or can continue yearly screening. A mammogram is a screening investigation  for breast cancer which uses unique  X-ray images to detect abnormal growths or changes in breast tissue.

Using a digital X-ray machine made focus  for breast tissue a technologist compresses the breast and takes images  from at least two different angles, creating a set of images for equal  of your breasts. This set of images is known  a mammogram. Breast tissue appears white and opaque and fatty tissue appears darker and translucent. Many centers also do 3-D mammography. This is equal  to regular mammograms but many more images  of the breast are taken at various angles to produce a 3-D picture for the radiologist to check. The mammogram is used to look for lumps or other findings that are too few  to be felt during a physical exam. A mammogram can also help your doctor determine the next step if a lump, growth, or change in your breast is found. The risk of breast cancer increases with age groups . That is why it is very important part  for all menopausal women to get regular mammograms.Mammography is your best defense versus breast cancer because it can detect the disease in its early stages, before it can be felt during a breast exam. Research has shown that mammography can increase breast cancer survival.