Women’s Health

There are many questions when it comes to breast cancer and Mammograms and sometimes you don’t know where to start.

To provide the most accurate and detailed information, we turned to the CDC website for tips.

Getting mammograms regularly can lower the risk of dying from breast cancer. A mammogram is an X-ray picture of the breast. The United States Preventive Services Task Force recommends that average-risk women who are 50 to 74 years old should have a screening mammogram every two years. Average-risk women who are 40 to 49 years old should talk to their doctor about when to start and how often to get a screening mammogram.

Studies have shown that your risk of breast cancer is due to a combination of factors. The main factors that influence your risk include being a woman and getting older. Most breast cancers are found in women who are 50 years old or older.

Some women will get breast cancer even without any other risk factors that they know of.

Risk factors include—

• Getting older
• Genetic mutations
• Early menstrual period
• Late or no pregnancy
• Starting menopause after age 55
• Not being physically active
• Being overweight or obese after menopause
• Having dense breasts
• Using combination hormone therapy
• Taking oral contraceptives (birth control pills)
• Personal history of breast cancer
• Personal history of certain non-cancerous breast diseases
• A family history of breast cancer
• Previous treatment using radiation therapy
• Women who took the drug diethylstilbestrol (DES)
• Drinking alcohol

For more information, visit https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/index.htm