Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women. It is considered a disease of menopausal women, but there are younger women with this problem as well. This is especially true in women with a positive family history. Mammography is a form of X-ray used to find breast cancers. It is used in two ways, one as a screening test and the other to examine an identified breast lump. A mammogram is a widely available screening tool used to find small breast cancers that can't be felt by exam. The smaller the cancer, the less likely it is to have spread and the better the outcome. The combination of your monthly self-exam, your health care worker's yearly exam and the mammogram gives the best chance of finding a breast cancer.

It is recommended that women between the aged 50 and older have a mammogram every year. Women aged 40 to 44 who are at an increased risk for breast cancer may also require an annual exams. These include women who have a history of:
* smoking,
* a family or personal history of breast cancer,
* a previous precancer of the breast, and
* no children, or children at an older age.

Getting a mammogram is easy. Many mammography centers have health education videos, and exam models to explain what will be done. You will usually tell your personal health history to a nurse or technician, be brought to a changing room, and from there go to the nearby test room. The machine is large with a platform for your breast. The helper will place your breast here and apply another tray on the breast to press it gently out for a flatter X-ray. It may be uncomfortable, but it allows the X-ray to see more of the tissue deep within your breast. Two or three different views of each breast are taken to check the whole breast. The X-rays are read by a radiologist, and the results are reported to your provider.

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