Most women who are diagnosed with breast cancer have no family history of the disease, and don’t have any risk factors. Little wonder, then, that the recommendations for breast cancer screening apply to all women, regardless of their individual medical history.

Because breast cancer screening can detect breast cancer long before symptoms occur, routine screenings offer the best chance for women to find out they have cancer in time to defeat it. The longer cancer is allowed to grow unchecked, the greater the risk that it will infiltrate other areas of the body; sadly, once breast cancer has spread, it is far more difficult to combat.

Mammography remains the best screening tool for detecting early cancers, but for many women, the idea of having their breast tissue pressed flat is less than appealing. During a mammogram, it is true the breast is compressed between two plates, as pressing the tissue flat yields the best view of the soft tissue within the breast. The good news, however, is that the breast compression portion of the exam lasts only a few seconds.

While most patients report feeling only pressure or discomfort, for a few women a mammogram can be painful. Tell your technologist right away if you do experience pain.

Should you schedule your annual breast exam right away? Here are the current guidelines:

• Women between the ages of 40 – 44 can start having yearly mammograms.
• Women between the ages of 45 – 54 should absolutely get mam