Deciding when to get routine mammograms has become increasingly confusing for women. Dr. Laura Esserman, breast cancer oncology specialist at the University of California, San Francisco, untangles doubts, shedding light on when and how often women should be getting checked for breast cancer. “Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women, and it is the second most common cause of cancer death after lung cancer,” she says – also the primary reason behind organisations pushing women to start screening at 40; others suggest 45, while some guidelines still lean toward beginning at 50. These recommendations also vary between yearly and every-other-year mammograms. But what Dr. Esserman outlines, speaking to AP, is that not all women face the same risk of breast cancer.
