When Should I Start Having Routine Mammogram Screenings?

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women (outside skin cancers) and accounts for 30% of cancers diagnosed in females. In the United States alone, more than 316,000 breast cancer diagnoses will be made in 2025, and the disease will claim more than 42,000 lives.

Because October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Dr. Fernando Otero and the team at Women’s Clinic of the Rio Grande Valley want to take this important discussion in a more productive direction and talk about screening. When it comes to cancer of any kind, early diagnosis can make all the difference, and this certainly holds true for breast cancer.

With that in mind, we dive into some best practices for mammogram screenings.

When to start your mammogram screening

If your risks for breast cancer (more on this in a minute) are average, the US Preventive Services Task Force and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommend that women start regular screening at the age of 40. This is an earlier start than was previously recommended (it used to be 50), which reflects the fact that new cases of invasive breast cancer in women in their 40s increased by an average of 2% per year from 2015 to 2019.

When we say screening, we’re referring mostly to mammograms, which are specialized X-rays that specifically look for cancer in your breasts; however, it’s not the only screening available — you can also get an MRI or ultrasound, especially if you have dense breast tissue.

Whichever imaging option you choose, you should keep up with regular screenings every other year until the age of 74.

When you’re at higher risk for breast cancer

While screening every two years between the ages of 40 and 74 works well for women with average risk, it may not be sufficient if you’re at higher risk.

The factors that place you more at risk for breast cancer include:

• Having an immediate family member with breast or ovarian cancer
• Having a history of breast or ovarian cancer
• Inherited genetic mutations — namely BRCA1 and BRCA2
• Starting your period before the age of 12
• Passing through menopause after the age of 55
• Having dense breast tissue
• Prior radiation therapy
• Being overweight
• Being inactive

This list isn’t comprehensive, and that’s where we come in. We can sit down with you to review your past medical history, your family’s medical history, and your current medical status to come up with a more personalized breast cancer screening schedule to fit your needs.

Whatever your final schedule, know that these breast cancer screenings can save lives, so they’re well worth your effort.

To figure out the best breast cancer screening schedule for your situation, it’s a good idea to sit down with one of our team members. To get that set up, all you need to do is contact one of our offices in McAllen or Edinburg, Texas, today to schedule an appointment.