Mammograms are commonly used to screen for breast cancer. It is essentially an x-ray of the breast to find any tumors that are too small to feel in a breast exam. Early detection of breast cancer with screening mammography can help to reduce the number of deaths from breast cancer for women ages 40-74. There are some potential risks to screening mammograms in that finding cancer doesn’t always mean saving a life, false positive and negative results, and radiation exposure.
The National Cancer Institute recommends screening mammograms for women 40 years and older every one to two years. Women who are at higher risk of breast cancer, such as from family history, should talk to their health-care providers about whether to have mammograms before the age of 40.
"If only women paid as much attention to their breasts as men do." Michelle Kraus