How reliable is a screening mammogram?
A screening mammogram is the best way of detecting cancer early, but like other screening tests it is not perfect. Not all cancers will be detected through screening – some cancers cannot be seen on a screening mammogram, some cancers develop during the time between screening mammograms and there is a slim chance that in the process of taking and reading the mammogram, the cancer will be missed. Also a screening mammogram may detect abnormalities in the breast tissue which may necessitate further tests but which do not turn out to be cancer. These incidents are known as ‘false positives’, and are an unavoidable aspect of the screening process. The choice to be screened is an individual choice. The current medical recommendation is that all women aged between 50 to 69 years should have a screening mammogram every two years.
