With growing awareness and funding, survival rates have increased overall because of the improvements in treatment.
Plus, identifying breast cancer early can give patients many more options for how they want to proceed.
Once women turn 20, it’s recommended that they start examining their breasts themselves by feeling for lumps.
Women should continue this practice monthly, regardless of what stage of life they are in.
However, self-breast exams are not the same as mammograms and should not replace exams by your doctor.
This is largely why self-exams are encouraged for this age group.
The American Cancer Societyprovides guidelines for women seeking mammograms based on their age.
Therefore, choosing the more frequent screening option as you age may provide more peace of mind.
Why are screenings important?
It is important to understand what a mammogram is to get to see it as a necessity.
Therefore, feeling for lumps yourself and then skipping your exam could be very dangerous.
It’s understandable if abreast cancer screening sounds uncomfortable since you may not know what to expect.
