5 reasons why you should get a mammogram
- Posted on: Dec 15 2020
About one in eight women in the United States will develop breast cancer in her lifetime. Regular mammograms are key to early breast cancer detection. It’s easy for life to get in the way and keep you from making that appointment, but it’s important to get regular screenings. Read on to learn reasons why you should get a mammogram and how often you should get screened for breast cancer.
- The older you get, the more at risk you are for getting breast cancer. Even if you don’t have a family history of breast cancer, your risk of developing breast cancer increases with age. About 85 percent of women with breast cancer have no family history of breast cancer.
- You may not feel the cancer. Cancer can’t always be felt. Regular mammograms can find breast cancer before you or your doctor feel the lump in your breast. It’s still important to do monthly breast self-exams, however, to catch any abnormalities at their earliest stages. In addition to advancing age and a family history of breast cancer, other risk factors include obesity, alcohol use and physical inactivity.
- Breast cancer is 99 percent curable when caught early. Mammograms detect cancer early, giving you more treatment options. The five-year survival rate for breast cancer caught early, before it spreads to the lymph nodes, is 99 percent according to the American Cancer Society.
- Early detection may help save your breasts. When breast cancer is diagnosed in an early stage, a mastectomy to remove the entire breast may not be necessary. A lumpectomy can remove the tumor while preserving surrounding healthy tissue.
- A mammogram can be done quickly. Mammography isn’t a comfortable procedure, but the good news is it quick and only takes about 20-30 minutes to complete.
The American Cancer Society recommends that women start getting annual mammograms for screening breast cancer around age 40. Camelback Women’s Health is proud to offer state-of-the-art Genius 3D mammogram technology for your next screening. To book an appointment, call 602-494-5050 (Paradise Valley) or 602-468-3912 (Biltmore).
Posted in: Mammography