updated June 18, 2026
This information is current as of the date of original publication or update but may have changed by the time you read this. Do not use this information for diagnosis or treatment purposes. Before making health decisions, discuss with a qualified healthcare professional.
According to a report published in JAMA, screening mammograms can reduce deaths from breast cancer. Breast exams done routinely do not decrease mortality.
Screening guidelines also do not apply to women with breast symptoms suggestive of cancer.These women need appropriate diagnostic testing which might include mammography, ultrasound, MRI, and/or biopsy.
American Cancer Society screening recommendations for women at average breast cancer risk
These guidelines are for women at average risk for breast cancer. For screening purposes, a woman is considered to be at average risk if she doesn’t have a personal history of breast cancer, a strong family history of breast cancer, or a genetic mutation known to increase risk of breast cancer (such as in a BRCA gene), and has not had chest radiation therapy before the age of 30. (See below for guidelines for women at high risk.)
- Women between 40 and 44 have the option to start screening with a mammogram every year.
- Women 45 to 54 should get mammograms every year.
- Women 55 and older can switch to a mammogram every other year, or they can choose to continue yearly mammograms. Screening should continue as long as a woman is in good health and is expected to live at least 10 more years.
- All women should understand what to expect when getting a mammogram for breast cancer screening – what the test can and cannot do.
Clinical breast exams (physical exams done by a health professional) are not recommended for breast cancer screening among average-risk women at any age.
These are guidelines for physicians to apply to each individual patient, not hard and fast rules. Some physicians may choose to follow the guidelines of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF)
- For ages 40-49 years, individualize the decision to screen every 2 years
- For ages 50-74 years, screen every 2 years
- For ages 75 years and older there is no recommendation.
Both organizations recommend that physicians discuss the decision to screen or not to screen with patients and base the decision after considering possible harms versus potential benefit.
And while breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among women in the United States, it is treatable and the chance of long term survival is high.
American Cancer Society screening recommendations for women at high risk
Women who are at high risk for breast cancer based on certain factors should get a breast MRI and a mammogram every year, typically starting at age 30. This includes women who:
- Have a lifetime risk of breast cancer of about 20% to 25% or greater, according to risk assessment tools that are based mainly on family history (see below)
- Have a known BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation (based on having had genetic testing)
- Have a first-degree relative (parent, brother, sister, or child) with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation, and have not had genetic testing themselves
- Had radiation therapy to the chest before they were 30 years old
- Have Li-Fraumeni syndrome, Cowden syndrome, or Bannayan-Riley-Ruvalcaba syndrome, or have first-degree relatives with one of these syndromes
watercress words by Dr Aletha 