I was having lunch today with a few girlfriends, and the question came up “When should you have your first Mammogram?” The answers around the table ranged from ages 25 to 40- no one really seemed to know. In fact, one girl who is 42- had never had one! So I thought I would do some research and here are a few of the different answers I found on the Internet:
• After the first mammogram at age 35, the next one should be at age 40 when it should be performed every other year. After age 50, it should be undergone every year.
• Go for your first mammogram at age 40. For most women turning 40 is the time most breast cancer is first discovered.
• Women should have mammograms every two years from age 50 to 74 years
• The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force mammogram guidelines recommend women begin screening at age 50 and repeat the test every two years.
• Mayo Clinic supports screening beginning at age 40
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the American Cancer Society (ACS), the American Medical Association (AMA) and the American College of Radiology (ACR) recommend screening mammography every year for women, beginning at age 40.
Truly, all different sources, all different ages. I had always thought that without a family history of Breast Cancer, 40 was the age to have your first mammogram.
As I do have a history of Breast Cancer in my family (Mother, 2 Aunts and Grandmother) I began at age 30 years and go yearly.
But there has been a lot of press lately about younger women (aged 29-35) developing Breast Cancer. Should the age for your first mammogram be sooner? In further reading, they are saying that Mammography is not an accurate screening device in younger women because young breast tissue is very dense. Dense tissue appears white on the x-ray film as do signs of breast cancer; masses, lumps and calcifications. Also, dense breast tissue requires a higher dose of radiation and it is not a good thing to expose the breast to radiation when the chances of finding an early breast cancer are very low. It is risk vs. benefit, and the risk does not outweigh the benefit in the case of younger women. The recommendation for women under 35 are monthly self breast exams and yearly physician breast exams.
What do you think? When did you have your first Mammogram?
