乳腺癌是美国女性最常见的癌症，其发病率随着年龄的增长而增加。内源性雌激素暴露、增生性良性乳腺疾病、乳腺密度和家族史也可能表明患乳腺癌的风险增加。通过乳房X光检查进行早期发现可以降低乳腺癌死亡率，但净效益因年龄而异。评估患者的个体乳腺癌风险可以指导有关乳腺癌筛查的决策。所有女性都受益于可能降低乳腺癌风险的健康行为。一些乳腺癌风险较高的女性可能会受益于降低风险的药物。筛查措施的使用仍然不理想，尤其是对于没有保险的女性。

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among U.S. women and its incidence increases with age. Endogenous estrogen exposure, proliferative benign breast disease, breast density, and family history may also indicate increased risk for breast cancer. Early detection with screening mammography reduces breast cancer mortality, but the net benefits vary by age. Assessing a patient's individual breast cancer risk can guide decisions regarding breast cancer screening. All women benefit from healthy behaviors which may reduce breast cancer risk. Some women at increased risk for breast cancer may benefit from risk-reducing medications. Use of screening measures remains suboptimal, especially for uninsured women.