1. A mammogram can detect breast cancer at an early stage. (YES)
A mammogram can find breast cancer early. It can often find the cancer before a woman feels any problems, sometimes up to three years earlier than when it could be felt by hand. Finding cancer early this way means treatment is more likely to work.

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2. Family history is the most important risk factor for developing breast cancer. (NO)
About 85 out of 100 women who are diagnosed with breast cancer have no family history of the disease. The biggest risk factors are simply being a woman and getting older, because your risk increases with age.

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3. Since my mammogram was normal last year, I can skip  this year's screening. (NO)
Breast cancer can sometimes grow fast, even in the year after  you had a normal test. That is why it is very important to get a  mammogram every year.​​

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4. Mammograms expose me to high level of radiation. (NO)
The amount of radiation you get from a mammogram is low and considered very safe. During a mammogram, the X-ray focuses strictly on the breast area. The radiation does not spread to other organs in the body. Mammograms will not cause cancer.

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5. Getting a call-back for a second mammogram highly suggests I might have breast cancer. (NO)
Being called back for a follow-up mammogram doesn't necessarily mean you have breast cancer. It usually just means your doctor needs to get a closer look at a specific area, which happens often. This is particularly common if it's your first mammogram and there are no past images for comparison, or if your breast tissue has changed slightly since your last screening. Most follow-up mammograms end up with a normal result.