The American Cancer Society recommends a baseline mammogram between the ages of 35 and 40 years and every 1 to 2 years between the ages of 40 and 50 years. Yearly mammograms should be performed after reaching age fifty. Unfortunately, these biopsies are the only way to definitely rule out a cancerous lesion. This seems to be an acceptable trade-off, particularly if the women happens to be one of the individuals with a breast cancer that is removed before it is even palpable. In this case, she has an extremely good prognosis compared to breast masses that are found when they are palpable and, therefore, larger.
Mammographies are often normal in the presence of a palpable known breast cancer.
A normal mammogram in the presence of a palpable breast lump simply provides no helpful information. Never ignore a palpable breast lump simply because the mammogram is normal. Boring C, Squires T, et al. Cancer Statistics, 1994. The information provided above is offered as a community service about health-care issues and is not a substitute for individual consultation.