Breast health and screening

This page is reference information compiled from the cited sources. It is not medical advice. For any decision about health, diagnosis or care, consult a qualified professional.

What it is

Breast cancer screening is the medical screening of asymptomatic, apparently healthy women for breast cancer in an attempt to achieve an earlier diagnosis. A number of screening tests have been employed, including clinical and self breast exams, mammography, genetic screening, ultrasound, and magnetic resonance imaging. A clinical or self breast exam involves feeling the breast for lumps or other abnormalities. Mammography is a type of radiography used on the breasts, typically used for medical screening of apparently healthy women. Magnetic resonance imaging is used to guide treatment, but is not an established screening method for healthy women.

Key facts

Medical evidence does not support the use of clinical or self breast exams in women with a typical risk for breast cancer. Universal screening with mammography is controversial as it may not reduce all-cause mortality and may cause harms through unnecessary treatments and medical procedures. The United States Preventive Services Task Force recommends screening mammography in women at normal risk for breast cancer, every other year between the ages of 40 and 74. Earlier, more aggressive, and more frequent screening is recommended for women at particularly high risk of developing breast cancer, such as those with a confirmed BRCA mutation. Screening mammography in older women increases medical treatment and saves a small number of lives, but usually has no effect on the outcome of any breast cancer that it detects.

When to seek professional help

Any lumps, thickenings, hardened knots, or any other breast changes should be brought to the attention of a healthcare provider. It is also important to look for changes in color or shape, nipple discharge, dimpling, and swelling. Abnormal findings on screening are further investigated by surgically removing a piece of the suspicious lumps to examine them under the microscope. If suspicious signs are identified in a mammogram image, then the woman is usually recalled for a second mammogram or a biopsy of the breast. Women who have mammograms may end up with increased surgeries, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and other potentially procedures resulting from the over-detection of harmless lumps.

Source: Breast cancer screening (CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikipedia)), retrieved 2026-09-30.