There is no simple answer when it comes to ‘when should a woman receive her first mammogram’. Watch the video below as Dr. Kenneth Chessick explains why and discusses routine mammograms.
There are many factors that go into when a woman should get her first mammogram. It used to be based on a woman’s age. Studies had shown that women over the age of 50 were likely to show signs of breast cancer. In today’s world, it can be related to your background, family history, and many other things. It’s important to perform monthly self-examinations, and if you feel something is amiss, consult your doctor immediately.
The Law Office of Kenneth Chessick has much experience with breast cancer, and we are here to help. We have seen many situations, unfortunately, so we understand what you may be experiencing. Give us a call if you have any questions or need any additional information.
Learn More:
Can Breast Cancer Be Diagnosed By A Mammogram?
Can Breast Cancer Be Confirmed Without A Biopsy?
How Often Is Breast Cancer Missed? – Missed Breast Cancer
Video Transcript
Timestamps
0:00 Intro
0:31 When Is Your First Examination Performed?
1:12 Routine Examinations
1:42 Serial Mammograms May Be Required
Another common question, is when should a woman get a mammogram? And that depends. Not surprisingly, every patient is different, and factors that indicate when to get a mammogram vary considerably. And even the recommendations of the various organizations, the American College of Surgeons, and the American College of Radiologists, for example, have changed over the years.
0:31 When Is Your First Examination Performed?
It used to be that mammograms were routinely recommended once a year after the age of 50, and that’s still certainly a very safe program. But there are other patients who should have it before that. A patient who’s at high risk for breast cancer. And what’s high risk? Having had breast cancer previously is a high risk. Having had a mother or sibling who had breast cancer, that’s another high-risk factor that might trigger the need for a routine annual mammogram, perhaps at the age of 40.
1:12 Routine Examinations
All of those are different than the patient who presents with a mass or patient who presents with bleeding from the nipple or dimpling of the skin or an abnormal examination by a physician or the patient, that when they’re there, there’s an abnormality on clinical examination of that breast, it’s time for a mammogram.
1:42 Serial Mammograms May Be Required
And while we’re talking about mammograms, serial mammograms are often necessary as well. A mammogram may show some abnormal calcifications and may show the area of increased density, but it’s not highly suggestive of cancer. Nonetheless, it makes it possible, repeating that mammogram in three months or six months is a very very sound practice that most physicians should do when there’s reason to suspect that cancer cannot be excluded. So mammograms, when you should get them, it depends.
