American Cancer Society Guidelines

The following information on screening examinations and breast self-exams was contributed by the American Cancer Society (www.cancer.org)

The goal of screening examinations for early breast cancer detection is to find cancers before they start to cause symptoms. Breast cancers that are detected because they cause symptoms tend to be relatively larger and likely to have spread beyond the breast. In contrast, breast cancers found during screening examinations are more likely to be small and still confined to the breast.

The American Cancer Society believes the use of mammography, clinical breast examination, and breast self-examination, offers women the best opportunity for reducing the breast cancer death rate through early detection. This combined approach is clearly better than any one examination. The American Cancer Society does not recommend relying solely on any of these methods.

The American Cancer Society Guidelines for the Early Detection of Breast Cancer:

If you are age 20-39:

• Have a clinical breast exam by your health care provider at least every three years
• Do a breast self-exam each month

If you are age 40 and over:

• Have a mammogram every year
• Have a clinical breast exam by your health care provider every year
• Do a breast self-exam each month

Ask your health care provider to each you the proper way to do a thorough breast self-exam. Click for additional instructions.