Breast Screening

A breast screen uses a special machine to look for very small cancers in breasts that can’t be seen or felt by a woman or her doctor. A breast screen is also called a mammogram.

How often do I need to have a breast screen?

Most women aged 50 to 74 should have a breast screen every 2 years. Research shows that having a breast screen every 2 years is the best way to find breast cancers when they are very small and more easily treated.

Some women will need to have a breast screen every year. This might be because they have a strong family history, previous benign breast disease or another reason. We’ll let you know if you need to come for a breast screen every year. One normal breast screen result doesn’t mean you’ll never get breast cancer. You’ll need to come back regularly to check that a breast cancer hasn’t started to grow since your last screen.