Why me?

The Mammotest is reserved for women aged 50 to 69.

There are two reasons for this. Firstly, it is in this age category that breast cancer is most frequently diagnosed. Secondly, the breasts are now more transparent to X-rays and therefore mammography is indicated. If the mammography is insufficient, you will be invited to return for an ultrasound and possibly other additional examinations.
To benefit the Mammotest, you must also be registered in the Belgian National Registry and be affiliated with one of the 7 partner health insurance funds of the RIZIV.
You are entitled to a Mammotest every two years.

And under the age of 50?
Under the age of 50, cancer occurs less frequently. However, if cancer is still diagnosed, the disease usually evolves faster. Moreover, the breasts are generally denser, and an additional ultrasound is often required. Therefore, the systematic screening program is not adapted to this age category. Do not hesitate to discuss this with your treating physician.

And over the age of 70?
Over the age of 70, screening remains useful, but it is no longer free. Why? Because from the perspective of Public Health, the positive effects of a program for the systematic screening for breast cancer only become evident after about ten years: a reduction in mortality due to breast cancer is observed. Above a certain age, it is therefore not useful for the government to invest in a generalized screening program. In reality, we could raise the age for the Mammotest, given the average life expectancy of women in our country, to 74 years.

Is the Mammotest free?
Yes, for you the Mammotest is free: you pay nothing. But the test is not free for the State. It is, after all, Social Security that pays the service to the Screening Center where you have your Mammotest performed. The Communities finance the organization of the screening. The Screening Centers themselves pay for the six-monthly technical inspection to check the conformity of their equipment. The State and the Communities finance the Mammotest because epidemiological studies have shown that this screening technique reduces mortality due to breast cancer.