Screening

Cancer screening means looking for cancer before symptoms appear when cancer may be easier to treat.

Screening Methods for Breast Cancer from the American Cancer Society

See American Cancer Society (ACS) Breast Cancer Screening GuidelinesExternal Website Policy or Cancer Screening - NCI for additional information on screening guidelines.

  • Mammography (most common screening test for breast)
    • Screening mammogram: used to look for signs of breast cancer in women who don’t have any breast symptoms or problems.
    • Diagnostic mammogram: used to look at a woman’s breast if she has breast symptoms or if something unusual is seen on a screening mammogram.
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
    • Used as a screening test for women who have a high risk of breast cancer.
      • Not recommended for women with average risk of breast cancer
    • More likely than mammography to find a breast mass that is not cancer.
  • Clinical Breast examination (CBE)
    • This is a breast exam that is done by a doctor or other health professional. They are looking for lumps or other changes in the breast and under the arms.
  • Breast Self-examination (BSE)
    • This is when a woman examines her own breast, looking for any changes or lumps. Women should be familiar with how their breasts normally look and feel and should report any changes to their health care provider.
  • Genetic testing
    • Recommended for women who have a strong family history of breast cancer or a personal history of cancer or other risk factors. Most common genetic tests are BRCA1 or BRCA2.
  • Other screening tests that have been or are being studied in clinical trials
    • Thermography: procedure in which a special camera that senses heat is used to record the temperature of the skin that covers the breast. Tumors can cause temperature changes that may show up on the thermogram.
    • Tissue sampling: Taking cells from breast tissue to check under a microscope.

Document screening details in

  • NAACCR Item # 2530: Text-Dx Proc-X-ray scan (mammography, ultrasound, or other imaging)
  • NAACCR Item # 2520 Text-Dx Proc-PE (clinical breast exam)

Updated: January 10, 2025