Catherine K. Chow, MD

Although there is general agreement that screening women over age 50 years with mammography reduces mortality from breast cancer, there has been controversy over the effectiveness of mammography in women 40 to 49 years old. Until 1993, the most widely accepted recommendation for screening mammography included baseline mammography between ages 35 and 40, mammography every 1 to 2 years between ages 40 and 50, and annual mammograms after age 50.