Women should start breast cancer screening at 40, with a mammogram every 2 years
- Moderate value
- Evidence A
- Buys life
- For: Women + Age 35+
- Costs a little
- Takes minutes
- No willpower
In plain words
A mammogram every 2 years for women aged 40 to 74 is explicitly recommended in the official U.S. screening advice. For women 75 and older, and for adding ultrasound or MRI for dense breasts, the official conclusion is that the evidence is not enough. When a checkup package charges extra for those, you can skip them.
- Cost
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A mammogram costs two or three hundred CNY each time. Many areas have free screening programs. Every 2 years, half a day.
- What you get
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The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force is the body that issues official U.S. screening recommendations. Its current advice is: “screen women aged 40 to 74 with a mammogram every 2 years.” This recommendation is grade B. For women 75 and older, and for adding ultrasound or MRI in women with dense breasts, it judged the evidence “insufficient.”
- Notes
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The age to start differs by country; some Chinese guidelines and local programs start at 45. People whose parent, child or sibling has had breast cancer, or who carry a BRCA mutation, are at high risk and should work out a plan with a doctor individually; this item does not apply to them.
- Evidence grade
- A : Specific numbers from meta-analyses, large cohorts or randomized trials; for law and policy, the statute or official text.
- Sources
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- US Preventive Services Task Force (2024). Breast Cancer: Screening. https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/breast-cancer-screening
Mentioned in
Translated from the Chinese original. Original book, section 1, tip 17. This section is about health and medicines. It is general information, not a substitute for a doctor’s diagnosis or prescription. Content may be out of date and rules differ by place. When you actually deal with an agency, a doctor or a court, follow what local officials, doctors and lawyers tell you. Disclaimer