This is an x-ray examination of the breast for signs of cancer. It provides for early detection of cancer before a mass is palpable. Benign abnormal conditions of the breast is also diagnosed by this method, such as fibroadenoma, mastitis, abscess, and cysts. The National Cancer Institute reports that screening mammography for women ages 50 and older, when it is done every 1 to 2 years, potentially can reduce breast cancer deaths by one-third or more for women in this age group