The researchers said the ever-widening use of routine screening mammography was mainly responsible for the 30.1 percent rise in breast cancer incidence.

The Gail model has been found to be reasonably accurate at predicting breast cancer risk in large groups of white women who undergo annual screening mammography.

For these women, mammography detected 69% of breast cancers diagnosed within 13 months of the first screening mammography.

Regular screening mammography is the most effective tool in dealing with the breast cancer epidemic.

The American Cancer Society reiterated its guideline for annual screening mammography for all women beginning at age 40.

Nationwide, it costs an average of $86 to perform a screening mammography in a doctor's office, according to the American College of Radiology.

What fundamentally changed in 2009 was that the USPSTF came out against routine screening mammography in women age 40-49.

Newman points out that screening mammography does not reduce death overall, but causes significant harm by inflicting cancer scare and unnecessary surgical interventions.

In those trials, women were randomly chosen either to undergo routine screening mammography or to wait until the appearance of symptoms, such as a lump in the breast.

Annual screening mammography starting at age 40 or 50.