Breast Cancer Screening: Early Detection is Key Published Sept. 29, 2009 TRICARE FALLS CHURCH, Va. -- Almost 1.5 million people in the United States will be diagnosed with cancer in 2009. For American women, breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths. TRICARE and the National Cancer Institute urge women 40 and older to have a mammogram every one to two years. Women younger than 40, but with risk factors for breast cancer, should ask their health care provider when they should have a mammogram and how often. To make it easier for women to get mammograms, TRICARE beneficiaries in specific age and risk categories have no copayment for mammograms. A clinical breast exam (CBE) is an examination by a doctor or nurse using his or her hands to feel for lumps or other changes. The American Cancer Society recommends women in their 20s and 30s get a CBE as part of their regular physical exam at least once every three years and shortly before having a mammogram, but a mammogram can be completed without having had a CBE. TRICARE's clinical preventive services cover annual mammograms for women age 40 and older. A mammogram is an X-ray of the breast that can detect lumps up to two years before they can be felt. When breast cancer is caught early, before it can be felt or cause symptoms, it is also easier to treat. Women 40 and older should have a screening mammogram every year. While mammograms can miss some cancers, they are still a very good way to find breast cancer. In March 2007, TRICARE added breast MRIs to the battery of cancer screenings it covers. Asymptomatic TRICARE Prime beneficiaries age 30 or older, and asymptomatic TRICARE Standard beneficiaries age 35 or older, can now have breast MRIs as an annual screening procedure if, according to American Cancer Society guidelines, they are considered at high risk of developing breast cancer. TRICARE beneficiaries can find information about breast cancer exams and screening at http://tricare.mil/mybenefit/jsp/Medical. For more information about breast cancer, visit the National Cancer Institute at http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/breast. About TRICARE Management Activity and the Military Health System TRICARE Management Activity, the Defense Department activity that administers the health care plan for the uniformed services, retirees and their families, serves more than 9.4 million eligible beneficiaries worldwide in the Military Health System (MHS). The mission of the MHS is to enhance Department of Defense and national security by providing health support for the full range of military operations. The MHS provides quality medical care through a network of providers, military treatment facilities, medical clinics and dental clinics worldwide. For more about the MHS go to www.health.mil.