signs or symptoms of breast cancer. Regular screening mammograms can help
reduce the number of deaths from breast cancer among women ages 40 to 74.
This is because they can find breast cancer early and treatment can start
earlier, maybe before it has spread.
But screening mammograms can also have risks. They can sometimes find
something that looks abnormal but isn’t cancer. This leads to further
testing and can cause you anxiety. Sometimes mammograms can miss cancer
when it is there. It also exposes you to radiation. You should talk to your
provider about the benefits and drawbacks of mammograms. Together, you can
decide when to start and how often to have a mammogram.
Not much is known about breast cancer risk in transgender people. If you
are transgender, talk to your provider about your risk and whether you need
screening mammograms. A diagnostic mammogram is done for people who have a
lump or other signs or symptoms of breast cancer. The signs can include
breast pain, thickening of the skin of the breast, nipple discharge, or a
change in breast size or shape. But these signs can also be caused by a
breast condition that is benign (not cancer). A mammogram, along with other
tests, can help your provider figure out whether you
An abnormal (not normal) mammogram does not always mean that there is
cancer. You will need to have additional mammograms, tests, or exams before
your provider can tell for sure.
