All About Breast Cancer Screening
Recommendations change frequently. Did you know that age 40 is not too young to start breast cancer screening?
Where did October go??? Tim feels like it is evaporating…disappearing as fast as it appears. (As much as I like to sleep, I’ve started to try getting up earlier in the morning so I add a few hours to my day, which always feels too abbreviated.)
And since October - aka breast cancer awareness month - is almost over, I’d be remiss not to include this important information about breast cancer screening.
Being a woman, you are guaranteed to go through menopause in one shape or form. Being a woman also counts - it’s one major risk factor, along with age - when it comes to developing breast cancer. Chances are one in eight that you will develop it some time in your life.
Many years ago, when I was diagnosed with breast cancer, the recommendations from both the American Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute were for women aged 40-49 who were considered to be at normal risk to get screened every one to two years.
But I was only 34, and getting a mammogram was not in my head, not in my world. I was of no risk; at least, that’s what I thought. (The CDC says that “some women will get breast cancer without any other risk factors that they know of.” Turns out, that was me.)
With two young toddlers keeping my mind and days busy, I had no room to think or worry about breast cancer. It happened to other people; women who had watched their mothers or grandmothers deal with it… middle-aged or older women…women who had unhealthy habits.
Turns out I was wrong on all counts. For instance, did you know that family history only accounts for 5-10 percent of breast cancers? Most people don’t. I surely didn’t. And you need not be middlie-aged or older nor live an unhealthy life to develop it, either.
I had a long history of lumpy breasts (not uncommon for that age). And a partiuluar lump had me concerned enough to visit my doctor, who suggested I get a baseline mamnogram, even though I was younger than the suggested age.
My doctor felt it was better to be safe than sorry, and being a person who tended toward advocating for my own health, I complied.
Alas, it was not the lump I felt - but the one that I was not aware of - that proved to be malignant. Saying how grateful I felt - and forever will feel - needs no further explanation. Except to say that I am so fortunate to have had a doctor who, though he was older and seemed to be old-school, was proactive and made the suggestion that likely saved my life.
What I guess i am trying to say is this: If you feel something, say something.
Every woman has a story. Some eschew mammograms, out of fear, denial, or I’m- not-sure-what. Others go religiously every year. After I was diagnosed, a mother of my son’s friend told me about a lump she had, and trusted her doctor’s insistence that it was “nothing.” But as I sat listening to her story, I urged her to insist on a biopsy. Her “nothing” lump proved to be “something.” Fortunately, it was caught in time, and her subsequent treatment with a mastectomy and chemotherapy put her on the path to good health and able to see her son grow up.
Losing a breast, or part of a breast, sure beats losing your life. Some breast cancers can grow fast, and time matters.
Mammogram screening guidelines can be confusing, making it difficult to know what the “official” word is. That’s because they vary according to the medical organization. Some experts argue that annual mammograms can lead to unnecessary testing and false positives.
But me? I argue that an annual mammogram can save your life.
Here is a comprehensive round-up of the varying screening guidelines from Breasstcancer.Org.
Noteworthy (and sometimes unrelated and random) News.
I was one of the 56,000-plus Connecticut residents to vote early. But I’m still squirming and fear I will be for a while. If the election has you writhing in anxiety (who, me???) read this.
Want to schedule a mammo and not sure where to start. No more excuses.
Afraid of the mammogram pain? No pain, no gain. But you can minimize it somewhat.
Until next time, stay healthy, stay strong, and for *((&^% s sake, get your mammogram!
xoSheryl
Like what you’re reading? Feel free to forward this to a friend (or two or three!) And since many of us are pro-choice, more below:
What to Expect When You’re Expecting a Mammogram:
Thanks for sharing your inspiring story!