More Mammograms, More False Positives: Are You Okay with That?

Q. I got my first mammogram in 2010. I was 45. It was all clear, and my doctor told me new guidelines said I didn't need another for 2 years. I thought, "Great." But, recently, a friend who's 51 was diagnosed with breast cancer. Now I wonder if every 2 years is enough. What do you think?
-- Linda, via e-mail

A. Your timing couldn't be better. The first major research on those guidelines has just come out. The short answer: With annual mammograms, you're much more likely to have a nerve-wracking false positive. (Learn why false positives happen.) With biannual mammograms, you're slightly more likely to have breast cancer detected at a later stage, though not everyone's convinced of the connection. So, there's no easy answer.

You need to make this decision with your doctor. That sounds like a cop-out, but since we assume you're not at high risk (you wouldn't be on the 2-year plan if you were), it comes down to personal tolerance. Which will make you less anxious: more mammograms, knowing there's a 60% chance of an unnerving false positive every 10 years, or fewer tests and lower odds of false positives, but a slightly greater risk of late detection? Have a long talk with your doc. You can always change your mind.

Work out the best mammogram schedule for YOU to help cut your breast cancer risk 30%.