Mammograms recommended for older women

Experts don't know what causes breast cancer or how to prevent it,  but they do know how to reduce your risk of dying from it: by detecting it early with yearly mammograms.

"They should definitely start by the time they're 40 years of age," explains Debbie Grandmont, the women's imaging supervisor at Cooley Dickinson Hospital. "But if you have a mother or a sister who has breast cancer you should start 10 years prior to her diagnosis."

Getting a mammogram may be uncomfortable, but Debbie told 22News that there is no reason not to get yearly mammograms after 40.

"It's so quick. To save your life and not have to go through the treatment. It's better than the alternative having breast cancer."

And yearly mammograms are also covered by most insurance plans.

If you're under 40, you should be doing monthly self breast exams. And experts say that women should start doing these as early as in their teens.