There are different screening tools used to check for breast cancer.

From age 30 to 40, routinebreast cancer screeninginvolving mammograms or breast MRIsis recommended based on your individual risk.

The benefits of breast cancer screening outweigh the risks.

For women athigh risk, a mammogram with a breast MRI is recommended.

The benefits of breast self-exams and clinical breast exams remain under debate.

BSEs are performed monthly.

Postmenopausal are advised to perform BSEs on the same calendar date each month.

For these women and women with breast cancer symptoms.

the CBE continues to be a recommended part of the evaluation.

It is considered the most important tool in breast cancer screening.

How Accurate Are Mammograms?

Mammograms are not perfect.

Among other things, breast MRIs can miss certain cancers that mammograms can detect.

A breast MRI is also associated with a threefold increased risk of false-positive results compared to a mammogram.

For screening purposes, a breast MRI is used with a mammogram in high-risk women.

Current Breast Cancer Screening Recommendations

Routine mammograms are the best way to detect breast cancer early.

BSEs should never be used to determine when screening is necessary.

Summary

Breast cancer screening is used to detect breast cancer as early as possible.

Routine mammograms are the standard of care for breast cancer screening, starting as early as age 40.

Women at high risk are advised to undergo an annual mammogram with a breast MRI from age 30.

Clinical breast exams may be useful in high-risk women.

American Cancer Society.American Cancer Society recommendations for the early detection of breast cancer.

U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.Recommendations: breast cancer screening.

National Breast Cancer Awareness Foundation.Breast self-exam.

2022 Feb;14(2):e22464.

doi:10.7759/cureus.22464

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Breast cancer risk assessment and screening in average-risk women.

Lberg M, Lousdal ML, Bretthauer M, Kalager M.Benefits and harms of mammography screening.Breast Cancer Res.

2015;17:63. doi:10.1186/s13058-015-0525-z

National Cancer Institute.Breast cancer screening.