What are the current technologies available for breast cancer screening?
Dr. Fein-Zachary: The current gold standard technology for breast cancer screening is mammography. Q: Who should receive a mammogram and how often? Dr. Fein-Zachary: The recommendation from the American College of Radiology and the American Cancer Society (ACS) is that all women should have an annual mammogram starting at age 40. If you have a family history of breast cancer, for example, if your mother or sister was diagnosed with breast cancer, it is recommended that you begin getting screened 10 years prior to the earliest breast cancer in your family. So, if your mother had breast cancer at age 42, you should begin annual screenings by age 32. The reason why we recommend beginning screenings at age 40 for most women is because 95% of breast cancer occurs in women over 40. Q: What happens during a mammogram? Dr. Fein-Zachary: A mammogram takes 15-20 minutes and begins with the patient putting on a hospital gown. The breast technologist will then position your breast between the padd
