Most breast cancers found by screening are too small to feel
Screening detected 6,400 invasive breast cancers in Australian women aged 50-74 in 2024; 57% were 15mm or less.
A lump is not the only way to spot breast cancer early. Mammogram screening finds most cancers before you can feel them.
BreastScreen ACT manager Jodie Kirkness explains: "The majority we detect are very small, and women won't feel them." Comparing images year to year, radiologists spot changes too tiny for self-checks to catch.
National data shows why: in 2024, screening detected 6,400 invasive breast cancers in Australian women aged 50 to 74. Nearly 6 in 10 of those were 15mm or smaller, roughly the size of a lentil.
BreastScreen ACT offers free screening from age 40, with every-two-years checks recommended for women 50 to 74. Misconceptions hold some back: fears about compression discomfort or learning bad news.
If you find a new lump, skin dimpling or nipple change, contact your GP promptly rather than wait for routine screening.
- 6,400
- Cancers detected in 2024
- 57.3%
- Proportion measuring 15mm or less
- Every 2 years
- Recommended screening interval
- 40 and over
- Free screening age threshold
Why it mattersEarly detection allows radiologists to spot cancers that self-checks cannot.
AustraliaAustralian women have access to free screening through BreastScreen services across the country.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 2 h ago
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