Questions for Your Provider - Breast Cancer Screening

• If your health care provider does not perform a clinical breast exam: Would you perform a clinical breast exam today?
• When should I begin mammography screening?
• If you are 40-49 and your health care provider does not recommend a mammogram: Can we discuss whether I would benefit from getting a mammogram?
  What are the risks and benefits of mammography for me?
• Is my mammogram scheduled at an FDA-certified mammography facility? (To check on your own, visit http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm113962.htm.)
• Does the radiologist specialize in mammography?
• What is the false positive rate for the radiologist or mammography center? (This should be no more than 10 percent to meet U.S. guidelines.)
• If you are at higher risk of breast cancer: What screening tests do you recommend for me?
• If you are disabled: Can the mammography center accommodate women with physical disabilities?
• If you are pregnant: When and what type of screening is safe for my developing baby?
• If you are breastfeeding: When and what type of screening should I get?
• If you have breast implants: Can you recommend a mammography center with experience in mammography for women with breast implants?
• If you have an abnormal finding from a clinical breast exam or a mammogram: What follow-up tests will I have? What do they involve?

Learn more about talking to your health care provider. 

Updated 07/23/12