Here are a few things to remember when it comes to mammography and early detection of breast cancer:

Women 40 and older: Schedule your screening mammogram today. Mammography is considered the gold standard for early detection by the American Cancer Society. If you haven’t had a mammogram this past year, make an appointment with a breast imaging center as soon as possible and make this examination a regular part of your health maintenance plan.

Mammography is just part of the equation. In addition to yearly screening mammograms, women 40 and older should undergo yearly clinical breast exams when they visit their health care providers. Women are also encouraged to perform breast self exams.

Don’t let fear get in your way.  Chances are that you don’t have breast cancer. But if you do, it’s better to know about it as early in the disease process as possible, when doctors have the best chances of treating it successfully. And if it’s the radiation exposure that concerns you, consider this: according to the American Cancer Society, the radiation dose from one mammogram is similar to that experienced during one flight from New York to California on a commercial jet.   

Women in your 20s or 30s: Pay attention. Make sure your health care provider performs clinical breast exams at least once every three years. You should also perform monthly breast self-exams. (Learn about how to perform a breast self-exam.)

Remember: No woman is exempt from breast cancer. There are many risk factors associated with breast cancer, including family history. If you have a risk factor, it doesn’t mean you will automatically get this disease. And if you don’t, it doesn’t mean you won’t. Bottom line: Every woman should educate herself about breast cancer and make breast examinations a priority.

For more information about breast cancer and mammography, visit www.cancer.org.