Description
Knowing your breast cancer risk early is key to starting screening at the right time. In this video, experts at UAMS Health explain how risk is calculated—taking into account age, family history, prior biopsies, ovarian cancer in the family, hormone use, and more. By age 25, everyone should have a risk assessment. Women at high risk may need to begin annual mammograms and breast MRI as early as age 30, while those at average risk typically start yearly mammograms at age 40. The video also emphasizes the importance of paying attention to changes in your breasts at any age, especially with the rising incidence of breast cancer in younger women, including African-American women.
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Transcript
It’s important, when you’re considering when to start screening, to know your risk. The Society of Breast Imaging, the Society of Breast Surgical Oncology—we all recommend that you know your level of risk, and it’s calculated for you by age 25.
What does that mean? There are risk models available on the internet, but I highly advise you do it with the direction of your doctor. They are mathematical models based on risk. So it takes into account your age, your family history, your body mass index, if you’ve had any prior biopsies, if you’ve had any atypia, if there’s any ovarian cancer in your family, have you taken hormones—it puts all of those answers into its assessment, and it lets us know if you’re at average risk for breast cancer, at intermediate risk for breast cancer, or high risk.
And it’s important to know that by age 25 because if you’re deemed high risk by that model, then you need to start annual screening at age 30. And if you’re high-risk, not only do you need to start mammography at age 30, you also need a breast MRI every year. So that’s why it’s so important for you to know what your level of risk for breast cancer is by age 25.
For those patients that are considered at average risk for breast cancer, we recommend that you start having a mammogram every year at age 40. Those screening recommendations produce the best outcomes.
Every patient by age 25 should have a risk assessment, and that gives an idea of when you need to start screening routinely—even if you’re not having a problem.
However, we encourage all women to be attentive to their breast at every single age. We’re seeing more breast cancer at younger ages in all women, but especially in African-American women. And so that’s why it’s so important to be attentive to your breast.
You know, if you’re in the shower and something doesn’t feel right, call your doctor. Be very attentive to your breast, because we are seeing an increase in breast cancer in young women less than 40.
