How Often Should You Get a Mammogram? Guidelines by Age & Risk

Breast cancer is the second most common cancer among women, but fortunately, mammograms can help reduce that risk. Here’s how often you should schedule a mammogram to optimize your own health.

Mammograms play a vital role in detecting breast cancer early, before symptoms appear and even before you can feel a lump with an at-home exam.

But though you know it’s important to have regular mammograms, you might not know how often you need to have an exam or at what age you should begin having this critical screening.

Our team at Invision Sally Jobe is ready to help. Read on to learn the basic guidelines for mammography screening recommendations based on two important factors: your age and your personal risk factors for breast cancer.

Mammography: Basic guidelines

First, to clear up any confusion with terms: Mammography is the term for the exam itself, while mammogram is used to describe the results. Most people use these terms interchangeably or use the term mammogram to describe both.

It’s also worth defining what we mean by “average breast cancer risk,” since that plays a big role in how the guidelines are designed. A woman with an average risk of developing breast cancer is someone who does not have:

A personal history of breast cancer
A mother, sister, or daughter with breast cancer
Genetic mutations associated with breast cancer (known as BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations)
A history of chest radiation therapy
A personal history of certain noncancerous breast conditions, like atypical hyperplasia

On the other hand, a woman with one or more of these risk factors is considered to have an increased risk of breast cancer, and her screening guidelines will be different.

Mammogram screening recommendations

Our team relies on recommendations from several medical societies and agencies, including the American Cancer Society (ACS) and the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). These guidelines are regularly updated based on the most up-to-date breast cancer data and statistics.

For women with an average risk of breast cancer, the USPSTF recommends a woman have her first mammogram at age 40, then every other year thereafter up until the age of 74. This is a change from previous recommendations that advised women to start screening between the ages of 40 and 50.

The ACS advises women between 40-44 years of age to discuss their risks with their doctor, then decide if they should begin screening now or if it’s OK to wait until age 45 to begin. Between 45-54, the ACS advises screening on an annual basis.

When a woman reaches age 55, the ACS recommends women continue to have annual screenings or have screenings every other year as long as she’s in good health and her life expectancy is 10 years or more.

Recommendations for women with elevated risks

Women with any of the risk factors listed previously may need to begin having mammograms earlier or have them more frequently. You might need additional screening with ultrasound or MRI, or your provider might recommend genetic testing or other lab tests.

Your healthcare provider will review your breast cancer risks and make a recommendation based on your specific needs.

What to know about dense breasts

Dense breasts feature breast tissue that’s thicker and more dense than average breast tissue. If you have dense breasts, they won’t look or feel any different. In fact, the only way you’ll know if you have dense breast tissue is by having a mammogram — we can tell from your images.

Dense breast tissue makes it harder to see early signs of cancer, even with advanced mammography. If you have dense breast tissue, talk to your doctor about the potential need for additional screening using imaging techniques like ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Make breast health a priority

Breast cancer is the second most common type of cancer affecting women, outnumbered only by skin cancers. Having regular mammograms is the best way to monitor your breast health as you age, so you can get the care you need as early as possible.

To learn more about mammography or to schedule a screening, request an appointment with the team at our practice locations in Aurora, Greenwood Village, Golden, Littleton, Lone Tree, Parker and Denver, Colorado, today.