All Women Recommended to Start Getting Regular Mammograms at Age 40 Early Detection and Treatment for Breast Cancer Starts with Screenings

9/19/2023

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force now recommends women who are at average risk for breast cancer get screening mammograms every two years starting at age 40. The recommendation is in response to the increase in breast cancer diagnoses in younger women and high mortality rates in Black women.

Women with strong family histories of breast cancer, African Americans and those of Ashkenazi Jewish descent should have a risk assessment at age 30 to see if a screening mammogram is needed before they are 40.

“The best chance for survival of any cancer is early diagnosis and treatment,” said Stanley Santiago, M.D., MBA, FACOG, Keys Medical Group Obstetrics and Gynecology. “Mammograms can detect cancer before any symptoms, such as a lump, or spreading of the disease occurs, which can increase the likelihood of recovery.”

Early Detection Saves Lives

While mortality from breast cancer has declined in recent years, it remains the second most common cancer causing death in women. Lung cancer is the most common.

Fortunately, a screening mammogram can help detect breast cancer in its earliest and most treatable stages. Lower Keys Medical Center is encouraging women to schedule their screening now, because when breast cancer is detected early, life-saving treatment can begin right away.

Nearly all breast cancers can be treated successfully if found early. The most effective way to detect breast cancer at an early, treatable stage is to have regular mammograms. Since mammography became widely used in the 1980s, the U.S. breast cancer death rate in women has dropped 43 percent through 2020.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. Lower Keys Medical Center’s Women’s Imaging Center is open Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., with extended hours on Saturday, October 7th and October 14th, from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. A discounted self-pay rate is available through the month of October. Call (305) 294-5535, extension 3308, for more information. A physician’s order is required.

Lower Keys Medical Center’s mammography service at the Women’s Imaging Center is accredited by the American College of Radiology.

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