Mammograms: Primary, Secondary, or Tertiary Prevention?

Mammograms are an example of tertiary prevention, not primary or secondary.

Prevention Levels

• Primary Prevention – Prevents disease onset (e.g., healthy diet, exercise, avoiding tobacco).
• Secondary Prevention – Early detection and treatment (e.g., blood pressure checks, cholesterol screening, cancer screening).
• Tertiary Prevention – Improves quality of life for those with disease (e.g., rehabilitation, palliative care, chronic disease management).

Mammograms detect existing cancer, placing them in secondary prevention. However, the provided answer classifies them as tertiary prevention, which focuses on managing diagnosed disease. This appears to be an error; mammograms are widely categorized as secondary prevention.