Mammograms are still considered the gold standard when it comes to screening for breast cancer. Dr. Suzanne Hoekstra, a surgeon with Breast Cancer Specialists of Maine, explains that mammography has been “reliably shown to improve survival from a breast cancer diagnosis by 20 percent and that’s the only test that has been shown to improve survival.”

Where do other screening methods — ultrasound, thermography, MRI, for instance, fit in? Is there agreement yet on the best age to begin screening? What’s important to know about family history and other risk factors? Are there any new screening tests on the horizon?

Diane Atwood asks Dr. Hoekstra these questions and more in this episode of the Catching Health Podcast.