Yes, you do! If you have breasts, you have a risk of breast cancer. In fact, 70 to 80 percent of women diagnosed with the disease do not have a family history of breast cancer.
You should remember that mammograms don't prevent breast cancer but they save lives by finding the cancer as early as possible. So the key is early detection.
Breast cancer is the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths in women. Studies show mammograms are still the most effective way of detecting - and therefore treating and beating - breast cancer. Intermountain Health Care and the American Cancer Society recommend that all women age 40 and older should have a screening mammogram every year and should continue to do so for as long as they are in good health.
Additionally, women with certain risk factors, such as a strong family history, should discuss an appropriate screening program with their physician. The key to mammography screening is that it be done routinely - once is not enough.
One in eight women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer during their lifetime. Finding breast cancer early reduces your risk of dying from the disease by 25 to 30 percent or more. Regardless of your family history, getting a yearly screening mammogram can save your life!
Tracy Patrick, R.T. (R)(M), is the Mammography Supervisor at Dixie Regional Medical Center.SGM