# Why Mammograms Belong in the Group Chat

> Start breast health talks early: get mammograms at 40 or sooner with risk factors.
- Title: Why Mammograms Belong in the Group Chat · Popsugar | Shortify
- Summary: Start breast health talks early: get mammograms at 40 or sooner with risk factors.
- Keywords: mammogram, breast cancer, american cancer society, risk factors, genetic mutation, brca2, uspstf, dense breasts, mammogram age, breast screening, Popsugar
- Source: Popsugar — https://popsugar.com/health/When-Should-You-Get-Your-First-Mammogram-44759679
- Author: Alexis Jones
- Published: 2018-04-25T21:20:09+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: mammogram, breast cancer, american cancer society, risk factors, genetic mutation, brca2, uspstf, dense breasts, mammogram age, breast screening, entertainment, lifestyle
## Nicole Seagriff's Story
Nicole Seagriff was diagnosed with breast cancer at 26, more than three decades earlier than the American Cancer Society's median age of 62.

> I got genetic testing in 2012, which found I had a BRCA2 genetic mutation. I met with a high-risk oncologist who ordered an MRI. The MRI found the cancer
## 2024 Cancer Report
In 2024, the American Cancer Society published a report showing younger adults had an increase in cancer cases between 1995 and 2020.
## When to Start Mammograms
American Cancer Society recommends women start considering mammograms at age 40 and talk to their doctors.
## USPSTF Guidelines
USPSTF recommends mammograms every other year starting at age 40 through age 74.
## Risk Factors
Family history, radiation exposure, early periods, pregnancy, cancer syndromes, and race/ethnicity impact breast cancer risk.
## Genetic Risk
Women with BRCA2 mutations should start mammograms at least 10 years before family member's diagnosis age.
## Dense Breasts
About 40 percent of women have dense breasts, which can hide cancer on mammograms.
## Black Women's Risk
Black women are more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer under 40 and have a 40 percent higher mortality rate than white women.
## Risk Assessment
Doctors use a risk calculator to determine if a woman's lifetime breast cancer risk is 20 percent or higher.
## Early Screening
Women with risk factors should get mammograms sooner than 40 and more frequently.
## Alternative Tests
MRI and ultrasound can detect cancer in dense breasts that mammograms might miss.
## When to Talk to Your Doctor
Start conversations with your doctor at age 30 to discuss breast cancer risk factors.
## The Bottom Line
Breast cancer risk factors matter more than age for when to get a mammogram.
## Key takeaway

Women should start mammograms at 40 or earlier if they have risk factors like family history or genetic mutations.