Screening guidelines developed by Memorial Sloan Kettering researchers recommend an annual clinical breast examination by a healthcare professional starting at age 25 and an annual mammogram starting at age 40 for women of average risk without symptoms.
Ask your doctor if you need earlier or more frequent screening or additional tests if you are at above-average risk for breast cancer due to any of the following factors:
a family history of breast cancer, particularly in close relatives such as your mother or sister, or in several family members
atypical hyperplasia (a type of benign breast disease) or lobular carcinoma in situ (abnormal cells in the lobule)
treatment with mantle radiation (a therapy used for Hodgkin’s disease and some other medical conditions) before age 32
BRCA1, BRCA2, or PALB2 gene mutations and other risk factors
Learn more about breast cancer screening guidelines.