The routine mammogram has been the gold standard for detection of breast tumors since the 1980s. These specialized X-rays are approximately 90% accurate in finding breast cancers even prior to a woman’s having any symptoms of the disease. This early detection can dramatically improve the chances of totally curing this disease, and doing so with minimal, if any, disfiguration, the scenario that all women hope desire.

Currently, the American Cancer Society (ACS) recommends an annual mammogram in women over age 40. Please note, this recommendation is for screening purposes, and if you should notice a lump or other suspicious signs a few months after a normal mammogram, you should see your doctor and not wait until the next year for your next screening mammogram. Once an abnormality has been detected by you or your doctor, the mammogram is considered to be a diagnostic, not a screening mammogram.

Mammograms can be the traditional film or the newer digital scans. While digital mammograms give physicians a better opportunity to enhance images and see them in a different light, so to speak, studies have failed to show that one is more effective than the other in detecting early tumors.

However, the American Cancer Society does recommend adding a breast MRI (magnetic resonance image) to the annual screening mammogram for women at particularly high risk for the disease, such as those who have already had breast cancer in one breast or who have a family history of breast cancer.

The magnetic resonance image gives greater detail of breast tissue. Therefore, it has the capability of picking up very small tumors that may be missed by the traditional mammogram.

The good news is that mammograms are believed to be directly responsible for close to 65% of the decline in breast cancer deaths in the U.S.A. between 1975 and 2000. While many women who are uninsured (or under-insured) forego the yearly mammogram due to fear of the cost, it is reassuring to know that a mammogram may cost as little as $50 and can literally be life-saving.

The supplemental MRI is significantly more expensive than a traditional mammogram, running $1,000 or more. However, according to a recent article in Time Magazine, it has been estimated that in the U.S.A. alone, close to 1.4 million women who have a high risk of breast cancer could potentially benefit from this additional screening. While all health insurance companies do not pay to go this extra mile, you should speak with your physician about having this test done if you are at high risk.