Background: In the context of major exposure to medical-based ionizing radiation (IR), French health institutions agree that adopting a precautionary approach is essential. A number of scientific studies have highlighted the risk of developing breast cancer after exposure to IR, even from low doses. However, the information circulating on the subject is varied.Objectives: A study of the mainstream press was performed to better understand the elements constitutingwomen's representations of IR in mammography for breast cancer screening.Study design: The data used came from a corpus created with the mainstream press database ‘Europresse.’The keyword ‘mammography’ was chosen. The software package Iramuteq was used to perform astatistical analysis of textual data using the Reinert method.Results: This study highlights a paradox between the social principle of prevention and the discourseelements on mammography screening present in the mainstream press.Conclusion: The general French press does not take into account radiation protection in cancer screeningdiscourses. A greater effort to provide information on this subject is needed.