Who Should Have a Mammogram?

The widely accepted view among scientific associations worldwide is that every woman should begin regular annual mammography checkups after the age of 40. Women of this age should definitely have annual mammograms, even if they have no symptoms, no family history of breast cancer, or even if they have had multiple children and breastfed.

I emphasize this because, for some reason, some people mistakenly assume that if they are not in a high-risk group and the conditions listed above apply to them, they will be fine without mammograms. No! This is a very misconception. More than half of the women diagnosed with breast cancer have no family history of breast cancer.

I'd like to make another quick reminder. Sometimes, we have patients who don't bring their mothers or aunts in their 60s to their checkups, even though they come for their own checkups. It's important to keep this in mind! Like all cancers, breast cancer's incidence increases with age. As long as they're not bedridden and can walk, I strongly recommend bringing your mothers and aunts for mammograms.

If you don't take the time to take your mother for a yearly checkup, you could be facing a cancer that wasn't caught early, forcing her to take her to the hospital weekly for toxic therapies like chemotherapy or radiation.

Mammography and early detection truly save lives. There are extensive and high-quality scientific publications on this topic, following millions of women across the country for decades. It's known that in European countries where screening is regularly implemented, breast cancer-related deaths have decreased by an average of 30% (19%-64%). Set aside a date a year with all your loved ones over the age of forty to have a mammogram and, if necessary, an ultrasound, performed by a radiologist you trust and experienced in breast radiology.