Speaking to your doctor about breast cancer screenings

If a mammograms is not a regular part of your health regimen, it’s time that it should be. According to the American Cancer Society’s most recent study on breast cancer, the average five-year survival rate for women with the disease is 90%. This makes early detection an important part of any woman’s health care.

The Arizona Oncology cancer center has a helpful guide to questions that are common for women to ask their physician when it comes to their first breast cancer screening. Getting the answer to these questions can help women feel more confident and assured before the procedure takes place. Here’s a quick summary, but you’ll want to take a few minutes to read the article.

At what age should you get a screening?

Age 40 is when women should choose to receive a yearly mammogram, which takes an x-ray image of the breasts. For sure, women should receive the yearly screening from ages 45 to 54, followed by screenings every two years after age 55.

What is the safety of mammograms?

As it happens, mammograms emit even less radiation than a standard chest x-ray. A mammogram also lasts about 20 minutes, and pain is minimal during the procedure. 

How accurate is this test? 
Mammograms have been shown to be 87% accurate in detecting cancer, with 13% of mammograms resulting in false negative results.

Should I get a 3D mammogram?

Physicians sometimes recommend this type of imaging, which provides many images instead of the handful you receive during mammograms. If you have dense breasts or a family or personal history of breast cancer, 3D imaging may make the most sense.

What are the risk factors for breast cancer?

Among the most common factors are being over age 55, a family history of breast cancer and having dense breasts. Lifestyle factors include being overweight, drinking alcohol and using certain types of birth control.

Once these questions are answered, receiving a mammogram or other breast cancer test is often a simple process, and physicians can help patients go over the results to either reassure or to plan further treatment if necessary.