October is breast cancer awareness month, and if there’s one MYTH that we need to debunk is that mammograms cause breast cancer. The TRUTH is the opposite: mammograms save lives by catching cancer early, when it's most treatable.
Unfortunately, this myth keeps too many women from getting screened on time,
says Adriana Suarez-Ligon, MD, FACS, medical director at The Breast Center at Montefiore Nyack Hospital. The radiation dose from a modern mammogram is extremely low, and the benefit of early detection far outweighs it. Delaying a mammogram is the real risk—not the mammogram itself.
A mammogram is an imaging test with low dose x-rays that take pictures of the breast. It is used to take a deeper look and show what may not be felt during a physical exam.
For women who are at average lifetime risk of breast cancer, Dr. Suarez recommends a screening mammogram to begin at the age of 40. However, patients at high lifetime risk of breast cancer should be evaluated by a breast surgeon for high-risk screening plans that could include additional breast imaging, such as breast MRI, medications to lower risk, and even surgical risk reduction.
Patients with a family history of breast cancer should begin screening as early as 10 years prior to the age at which their first or second-degree relative was diagnosed,
she advises. Early breast cancer screening should also be discussed with a breast surgeon to ensure appropriate imaging is ordered and follow-up of imaging is complete with a plan of action.
For more information or to schedule your mammogram, visit www.montefiorenyack.org/services/breastcenter or call 845-348-8551.
