A mammogram is a low-dose X-ray of the breast used to find cancer before it can be felt. Screening mammograms are done on a regular schedule for women with no symptoms, and they are the most effective tool we have for catching breast cancer early, when treatment is simplest and survival is highest. The confusion most women run into is not whether to get one, but when to start, how often to repeat, and what changes the plan.
When should women start getting mammograms?
For women at average risk, current guidance is to begin routine screening mammograms at age 40. This is a change from older advice that let women wait until 50, and it reflects a rise in breast cancer among women in their 40s along with better evidence that earlier screening saves lives. If you are 40 and have never had a mammogram, 2026 is the year to schedule one.
Your first screening should happen sooner if you are at higher than average risk. That includes having a mother, sister, or daughter diagnosed with breast cancer, especially before age 50; a known genetic mutation such as BRCA1 or BRCA2 in your family; or radiation treatment to the chest before age 30. In those cases, screening often begins at 30, or ten years before the age at which your youngest relative was diagnosed, whichever is later. Your provider can calculate your lifetime risk and set a start date that fits your history.
How often should you get a mammogram?
Every one to two years is the standard for average-risk women aged 40 through at least 74. Guidance differs on whether yearly or every-other-year screening is best, and it depends on your risk, your breast density, and how you weigh a false alarm against a missed cancer. Many women choose yearly screening in their 40s and 50s, when breast tissue is denser and cancers can grow faster, instead of spacing them out later. Screening past the age of 75 is an individual decision based on your overall health.
