Breast cancer is the most common cancer among Singaporean women. Every year, more than 1000 women are diagnosed, and over 400 die from breast cancer.
Mammography is recommended annually for women over 40 years of age and once every 2 years for women over 50 years of age. It is useful for detecting the presence of cancerous lumps before they are felt by hand.
Low doses of radiation are used to generate an image of the breast to look for characteristic masses or microcalcifications. Abnormal mammograms should be followed up with a breast surgeon.