Breast screening guidelines have changed over the years leaving some myths about ideal breast screening practices to linger. The good news is, through advancements in screening technology, detection and diagnosis of breast cancer is now possible at the very earliest stages. 3D mammography can even detect cell abnormalities at the precancerous stage. Not surprisingly, breast cancer mortality rates have been drastically reduced, while the rates for breast cancer diagnosis have actually risen.

Top 3 Myths about Breast Screening

So what are the myths vs. reality? These three common misconceptions about breast screening are myths we should all leave behind.

1. Myth: Self-evaluation is a sufficient screening tool. The fact is, by the time a lump is tangible, it could be in a very advanced stage of cancer. However, at the advent of breast cancer awareness, self-examinations served a very significant purpose. For the first time, patients were asked to play a proactive role in their breast health. While monthly self-exams are still recommended, they are no longer considered to be highly effective in detecting cancer in its early stages. According to Dr. Roni Talukdar, Medical Director for the Imaging Center for Women, “Detection size matters. If you detect breast cancer at under 1.5cm, there’s a 98%-99% survival rate. But when it’s over 1.5cm the survival rate drops to 70%.”
2. Myth: Breast screening can be delayed if there is no family history. Some women believe that if they do not have a family history of breast cancer, they can delay breast screening. The fact is, 75% of women diagnosed have no family history of breast cancer. If your family history is free of breast cancer, you should not neglect a yearly mammogram. If you have a family history of breast cancer, the American College of Radiology recommends that you begin annual mammograms 10 years before your first-degree relative had breast cancer. Bottom line, if you are a woman over the age of 40, you should be getting a yearly mammogram. 
3. Myth: Mammograms can cause cancer. A mammogram is a low-dose x-ray of the breasts. Mammograms can detect breast cancer up to three years before a tumor can be felt during a breast exam. Without a cure for breast cancer, early detection is the very best defense.

The levels of radiation in mammography are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, Mammography Quality and Standards Act, and organizations such as the American College of Radiology. Background radiation in our environment varies from region to region, but the radiation exposure in a mammogram has been compared to the equivalent of two months’ environmental exposure for the average person.