Is there any proof that radiation from mammograms can cause breast cancer? is there any legitimate alternative to screen for breast cancer?

NO: There is some other technologies like breast MRI and ultrasound but the gold standard test is mammography.

Minuscule risk: There was a trial done in high risk women at the national cancer institute. It took young women and randomized them to yearly mammograms starting at age 30 or one at 30, 35, and then yearly at 40. Those that had yearly mammograms starting at 30 had a higher risk. Now this was prior to digital mammograms (which have less radiation). Hence, the risk is very small and benefits outweigh the risks.

YES and YES: There is no doubt that mammograms can cause breast cancer but we are not sure how often; conservative estimates say about 1 in 1000 will get cancer from mammograms while others say they can increase risk up to 20% & nobel prize winner john gofman believes up to half of cancers are caused by x-rays! thermography is one alternative. See my comment for links & further discussion of a complex issue.

MammogramsSAVELives: The radiation exposure of a digital mammogram is 3.7mgy. This is associated with a lifetime-attributable risk of breast cancer of 1.3 cases per 100, 000. Mammography is a safe, proven technique for finding cancers well before they are palpable and there is no controversy about its use after age 50. Thermograms are 25% as sensitive as mammograms and not suitable for screening.

Do self-exam also: There's still disagreement about the value of mamography in the scientific community, but it centers on the cost and problems of false-positives rather than causing cancer. Back when i was in med school, i was the only person who took a few minutes with each women to discuss and teach breast self-exam. I'm skeptical about the more recent studies that question its value since it's often done poorly.

No. Yes.: There is still no definite proof that mammograms cause breast cancer. The concern for increasing cancers is based on projections from data originally obtained from the atomic bomb results in Japan in 1945. But everyone should be cautious and conservative when it comes to possibly causing cancer. The alternatives for mammograms include MRI and Ultrasound. Discuss options with your Doctor.

There is no: proof that mammograms cause cancer. Risk calculations are based on data extrapolated from radiation induced cancers from much higher doses. See xrayrisk.com for risk calculations. Currently mammography is the standard of care for screening: the consensus is that the benefits far outweigh the minimal theoretical risks. The alternatives, such as ultrasound and MRI, have their own drawbacks.