A mammogram is a safe, low-dose x-ray of the breast. It can find very small breast cancers before you or your doctor can feel a lump.
Finding breast cancer early gives you the best chance of successful treatment. Because your risk of breast cancer increases as you get older, we recommend you consider regular screening from age 40. From age 45, you can book your free mammogram with BreastScreen Aotearoa. Freephone 0800 270 200.
Mammograms do not find every breast cancer. It’s important to keep checking your breasts between mammograms. If you notice a change that isn’t normal for you, see a GP – even if you’ve recently had a mammogram.
Having a mammogram
A screening mammogram is an x-ray of your breasts. It’s used to find breast cancer before you notice any signs or symptoms. Finding cancer early, before symptoms appear, usually means it's easier to treat. Breast cancer detected through regular screening is also more likely to be treated without having to completely remove the breast.
Jackie Clarke, one of our wonderful ambassadors, let the public tag along to her mammogram for the TV show Kiwi Living. Check it out here.
Book a mammogram
Book your mammogram with BreastScreen Aotearoa. Freephone
New Zealand women are eligible for a free mammogram every two years between the ages of 45 and 69. From October 2025, BreastScreen Aotearoa began a phased roll out to increase the screening age to 74.
Can thermography detect breast cancer?
Thermography uses a thermal camera to measure heat patterns in the breast. There is not enough reliable evidence that it can detect breast cancer effectively, so we don’t recommend it as an alternative to mammograms.