What is a mammogram and who can receive them?

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The first symptom of breast cancer that most women notice is a lump or an area of thickened tissue in their breast, the NHS website states. As it is possible for breast cancer to develop in the three years between each mammogram, it is important for women to check their breasts regularly for any signs of cancer, according to the charity Breast Cancer Now. Mammograms are not often used in women under 40 as younger women have denser breast tissue, which can make the x-ray image less clear and changes harder to identify, according to Breast Cancer Now. However, for women with a family history of breast cancer, UK guidelines recommend they should start having screening mammograms every year in their forties.