Breast care at MIT Health

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends that women at average risk of breast cancer have a screening mammogram every other year, beginning at age 40. For women at higher-than-average risk of breast cancer, USPSTF recommends annual digital mammography, beginning between the ages of 25 and 40.

Mammography

MIT Health’s Radiology Service uses a 3D mammography system known as “digital breast tomosynthesis” (DBT). DBT creates a very clear, three-dimensional rendering of the entire breast, in contrast to conventional mammography, which produces a single, flattened image. DBT has been shown to increase rates of cancer detection and may be particularly useful for the more than 40 percent of women who have dense breasts.

Supplemental screening

If you are at higher-than-average risk of breast cancer, your provider may recommend more frequent screening mammograms, additional types of screening, and/or genetic testing.

Research has identified many risk factors for breast cancer. These include age, family history, reproductive history, possible genetic mutations, and environmental factors. 

When you use an online risk-assessment calculation tool,  like the ones below, you’ll answer questions about some of these risk factors. The calculator will use your answers to produce an estimate of your risk over some period of time — typically the next five years, 10 years, or the remainder of your lifetime.

It’s important to remember that this number is calculated by comparing your responses to population data. But population data cannot reflect an individual’s level of risk with complete accuracy. Use your results as the starting point for a conversation with your provider. Together, you and your provider can determine the best ways to monitor your breast health.

• IBIS (International Breast Cancer Intervention Study) Risk Evaluation Tool: This tool estimates an individual’s likelihood of developing breast cancer within 10 years and over the course of a lifetime.
• BWHS (Black Women’s Health Study) Breast Cancer Risk Calculator: This tool estimates an individual’s risk of developing invasive breast cancer over the next five years. This test was derived from and tested on data from U.S. Black women.