BC Cancer Breast Screening is committed to ensuring the safety of patients and health care providers during screening mammography appointments. Learn more.
It is important to make an informed decision to screen by being aware of the benefits and limitations of
screening mammography.
Finding cancer early means that it is less likely to have spread and treatment can be started earlier in the course of the disease.
Approximately 1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime and 1 in 28 women is expected to die from the disease.
Screening mammograms are the best method for detecting breast cancer early. Mammograms can usually find lumps two or three years before you or your health care provider can feel them.
Research has shown a greater than 25 per cent reduction in deaths from breast cancer among those who regularly screen.
While those with a family history of breast cancer have a higher-than-average risk, the most significant
risk factor for breast cancer is being a woman over 50 years of age.
Over 80 percent of new breast cancers diagnosed each year in BC are in women age 50 or older.
Not all breasts look the same on a mammogram – age and/or
breast density can make cancers more or less difficult to see. In general, screening mammograms are less effective in those who are younger because they tend to have denser breast tissue.
Some cancers cannot be detected on a mammogram due to the location of the cancer or the density of the breast tissue. About 25 percent of cancers in women ages 40-49 are not detectable by a screening mammogram, compared with about 10 percent in women older than 50.
On average, 9 percent of women screened through BC Cancer Breast Screening will require additional testing to look more closely at a specific area of the breast. This does not mean that a cancer was found – over 95 percent of patients recalled for additional testing do not have cancer.
The benefits of regular mammograms outweigh the risks posed by the small amount of radiation you are exposed to.
