Get Your Mammo: It’s an hour that could save your life!

By Sallee Jones, DO, PhD, FACS, St. Joseph Regional Medical Center

The holidays are around the corner and it’s my favorite time of the year! It’s time to enjoy changing leaves, sweatshirts, bonfires, apple cider, pumpkin spice and mammograms. (OK, so maybe not mammograms but I thought I’d try.)  I know what you’re thinking, there are so many reasons why we don’t get, or put off getting our mammogram, including we don’t have time, it might hurt and so on. But let’s talk about the facts for just a minute.

According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in the U.S., behind only skin cancers. In fact, the ACS puts the average risk as a one in eight chance that a woman will develop breast cancer in her lifetime. In addition, the World Health Organization states breast cancer is now the most common cancer globally, claiming 12 percent of new cancer cases. Breast cancer is also the second leading cause of cancer death in women, superseded only by lung cancer. 

So, that’s some not-so-good news. How about some good news? Those death rates have been steadily dropping. Statistics show that the overall death rate from breast cancer decreased by one percent each year from 2013 to 2018. Now, the question is “why?” Well, the decreases have been associated with several factors, including better treatments and earlier detection through screenings. 

Here’s some more good news. You can get screened by scheduling a simple, routine mammogram. A mammogram takes only about one hour, once a year, but its benefits can last much longer. Mammograms help detect breast cancer earlier than waiting for symptoms to appear. That’s an incredibly important weapon in the fight against breast cancer because early detection can result in an easier and more effective treatment if cancer is discovered.  

While there are certain risk factors for breast cancer – including lifestyle-related risks, as well as some risk factors you cannot change, like your family medical history – some breast cancer patients have no risk factors or even any symptoms. Actually, 85 percent of breast cancer cases are in women with no family history of the disease. That’s why early detection is so vital to finding and trea

ting breast cancer. 

If you are a woman 40 and older, you should be including an annual mammogram in your yearly health journey. If you are at higher risk, you may need to begin annual screenings sooner. As with other health issues, it’s important to have a discussion with your trusted provider about your lifestyle and risks and to determine the right time for you to begin annual breast cancer 

screening. 

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, so if you haven’t already scheduled your mammogram, schedule one on your way to picking up a pumpkin spice latte.  Now is a great time to ge

t it on your calendar and get the peace of mind that comes from taking charge of your health. It’s one hour a year that could save your life. 

If you would like to schedule a 3D mammogram, call St. Joseph Breast Imaging Center at 208.799.6505 or visit sjrmc.org. For more information on breast cancer and mammograms, visit breastcancer.org and cdc.gov/cancer/breast. 

Dr. Jones is a board-certified general surgeon at St. Joseph Regional Medical Center.  She is a female surgeon who partners with women in the fight against breast cancer and benign breast disease.