When Should a Woman Begin Having Mammogram Tests?

My sister, who's three years older than me, had her second annual mammogram test last August. Before going through her first test last year, she consulted a number of friends in the medical profession to find out from them the benefits and risks of a mammogram test. Besides being assured of mammogram's safeness and of its benefits, the one advice she received which she remembers the most - and which made her decide on having that very first test - was that since she turned fifty then, it was all right for her to have annual mammogram tests, beginning that year.

Mammogram is one of the subdivisions of diagnostic radiology - specifically, a form of X-ray. It is used to visualize the breast's inside and aids a doctor in detecting malignant tumors with an accuracy of up to ninety-five percent, often in their earliest developmental stages when they can be dealt with medically without much difficulty. Medical experts have already confirmed the safeness and medical worth of mammogram, and there have been no significant opposition towards this professional assurance. The opposing views, rather, focus on when a woman should begin having mammogram tests.

Before tackling the age issue, it is important to first understand how a mammogram test works. As in the other types of X-ray, radiation is the key process on which a mammogram depends to take pictures of the body's interior; hence, the mammogram we ordinarily know is called film mammography. But in the case of digital mammography (which is the more advanced form of mammography) pictures are passed along directly to a computer screen, and then enhanced to produce more accurate pictures.

It was thought in the early years of mammography that annual screening may pose risk of cancer (particularly breast cancer) due to the radiation involved in the process. But this concern was promptly put to rest by the numerous trials and tests conducted, all of which proved that the slight exposure from such modern apparatus or machine such as mammogram hardly causes even the least of risks.

As to the question on when a woman should start to have annual mammogram tests, doctors suggest the age of fifty, although other medical experts say those in the age bracket of forty to forty-nine can start having the annual tests. For younger women, the value and reliability of mammogram remains a question. This is because the breasts of younger women are generally compact or predominantly filled, making the tests more difficult to analyze or interpret.

In general, doctors recommend that all women aged fifty to sixty-nine should undergo a mammogram test each year. The test should be in conjunction with a physical examination of the breasts to be conducted by a health professional trained in this specific field. This pair of procedures is meant to diagnose breast cancer at its very early stage which can lead to a significant betterment in survival.

There are at least three conditions under which a woman of any age should consider having regular mammogram tests. These conditions, according to doctors, are: if the woman's breasts are large, which makes examination difficult to carry out; if the woman has cysts or other conditions related to her breasts; and if the woman has a premenopausal breast cancer history in her family. Doctors likewise emphasize on at least two other reminders or instructions to women when having a mammogram test, both of which are intended to increase the accuracy of the picture or image to be taken: On the day of the test, do not wear deodorant or creams of any kind on your underarms or torso. Have your test scheduled during the two weeks immediately following your period; it is easier to detect any disorder during this time. [Read the Original Article]