Mammography May Increase Breast Cancer Risk in Some High-Risk Women

Low-dose radiation from annual mammography screening may increase breast cancer risk in women with genetic or familial predisposition to breast cancer, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). Results showed that among all high-risk women in the study, average increased risk of breast cancer due to low-dose radiation exposure was 1.5 times greater than that of high-risk women not exposed to low-dose radiation. High-risk women exposed before age 20 or with five or more exposures were 2.5 times more likely to develop breast cancer than high-risk women not exposed to low-dose radiation. I found this article interesting because they thought my mom had breast cancer and knowing this may help other women not get it.