October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) reports that breast cancer is one of the most common kinds of cancer in women after skin cancer. At the half-way point of the month, it’s a sobering statistic to realize that one in eight women born today in the United States will get breast cancer at some point.
Early detection and treatment can be key to surviving a breast cancer diagnosis. Women ages 40-49 should be talking with their doctor about when to start getting a mammogram, and how often they should get one. It is advised that women ages 50-74 should get a mammogram every two years. Risk for breast cancer can be higher if a close member of a person’s family has had breast cancer or ovarian cancer. A discussion about risks and a testing is important between doctor and patient.
