When should I get a mammogram?

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends that women at average risk of breast cancer have screening mammograms every 2 years between ages 40 and 74.

Some people at higher risk may be advised to begin earlier or screen more often — for example, those with known harmful changes in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes, or anyone who received radiation therapy to the chest for a childhood cancer.

Talk with your doctor about your own risk, based on your personal and family health history, to decide the right screening plan for you.