Mammograms

The statistics are sobering: Breast cancer strikes 1 in 8 American women.

But breast x-rays, or mammograms, drastically improve a woman's chance of surviving the disease, says Shaparak Kamarei, M.D., USC associate clinical professor of internal medicine.

"A mammogram is the best tool available for finding breast cancer early, before symptoms appear," says Kamarei. "Breast cancer is asymptomatic for years."

There are two kinds of mammograms: screening and diagnostic, she explains. Screening mammograms detect breast changes in women who have no signs of cancer. Diagnostic mammograms evaluate unusual breast changes, such as a lump, pain, nipple thickening or discharge or a change in the breast size or shape.

During the mammography, the breast is placed between two flat plastic plates, which are pressed together. The idea is to flatten the breast as much as possible; spreading the tissue makes any abnormalities easier to spot using with minimal radiation, Kamarei explains.

Although the pressure from the plates may be uncomfortable, each x-ray takes less than a minute. You should schedule a mammography just after your period, when your breasts less tender. If you're not longer menstruating, schedule the test at the same time each year.

Kamarei recommends that women get their first mammogram done at age 35. Women between 40 and 50 years of age should get a screening every other year, and women over 50, yearly.

"For all women, risk increases after 50," she adds. By age 60, 1 out of 23 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer. This number shoots up to 1 out of 10 by age 80.

Most states have laws requiring health insurance companies to reimburse all or part of the cost of mammograms.

"If the insurance policy doesn't cover it, I strongly advise women to pay for it themselves," she says. Most screening mammograms cost between $50 and $150 and are offered without cost in some clinics.