Mammograms: Help Keep Your Breasts Healthy

There's a simple, effective and often cost-free way to help make sure your breasts stay healthy. Here’s what you need to know about mammograms.

What's a Mammogram?
A mammogram is an X-ray that shows the inner breast tissue. Doctors use mammograms to make sure there aren't any abnormal growths, like lumps, cysts and tumors in your breasts. This is the best way to detect breast cancer. If you're over 40, you should get a mammogram every other year. If a close relative, like your mother, grandmother, or aunt, was diagnosed with breast cancer, you should start getting mammograms 10 years before the age they were when they were diagnosed.

Abnormal Mammograms Happen
Your mammogram is read by a radiologist and your results should be given to you by your doctor.  If anything abnormal is found, remember that there's no need to panic. It's probably not cancer. Your doctor will send you for additional tests to pin down what's been found. It could be that the lump turns out to be a noncancerous growth such as a fluid-filled cyst.

Do Mammograms Work?
Remember, mammograms catch about 85 to 90 percent of all breast cancer cases. The rest are caught by breast self-exams, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Find a Free Screening Near You
To find out more about mammograms and to check your local area for free or low-cost health care clinics that offer mammogram screenings visit the Web site of the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program.