Common myths about mammography

Adapted from the National Institutes of Health by ]]>EBSCO Publishing Editorial Staff]]>

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If my doctor doesn't recommend a mammogram, I don't need one.
Don't wait for him to bring it up. Tell him or her that you want to discuss mammography.
I'll be exposed to too much radiation.
The reality is, the radiation exposure from today's quality mammography equipment is minimal. It is far more dangerous not to find breast cancer at its earliest stage than to be exposed to a low dose of radiation.
My mother and my grandmother never had breast cancer, so I don't need to worry about it.
The reality is, if you're a woman, and getting older, you are at risk for breast cancer. Eighty percent of the women who get breast cancer have no family history of the disease. A woman whose mother, sister, or daughter had breast cancer should talk to her doctor about getting checked more often. But all women, once they reach age 40, need to get regular mammograms.
I don't need to have a mammogram unless I feel a lump or have symptoms of breast cancer.
The reality is, screening mammograms are for women with no lumps or other symptoms. The best time to find breast cancer is before you can feel it.