| Breast Cancer Screening Saves Lives |
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Recent controversies about mammography screening have left many women confused about when and if they should undergo mammography. Confusion about early detection is the last thing we need today, since breast cancer is becoming more common (expected to affect one in eight women) and early detection certainly leads to increased survival for women with invasive cancer.
Many respected organizations, including the American Cancer Society, the National Cancer Institute, and the American College of Radiology, all recommend the following simple imaging guidelines:
- Women 40 or over should have an annual screening mammogram
- High risk women* may require mammography or other screening procedures at a younger age
- Women with a >20% lifetime risk should undergo annual screening breast MRI according to the American Cancer Society
Would you like to calculate your breast cancer risk? Try these three web-based resources:
- The US National Institutes of Health Gail Model (http://www.cancer.gov/bcrisktool)
- National Breast and Ovarian Cancer Center (NBOCC) of Australia (http://www.nbocc.org.au/risk/yourrisk.html)
- National Breast Prevention.com, a privately sponsored site (http://www.breastcancerprevention.org/raf_source.asp)
So if you are 40 or over, and you haven't had a mammogram in over a year, schedule one now!
By: the Physicians of Health Butler
[1/19/2010]