Health New England | Health Matters | Wellness Guide 2019

24 ∞ Health & Wellness Guide | 2019 After skin cancer, breast cancer is the second most common cancer in women. At some point in their lives, about 12 percent of women will learn that they have a cancerous tumor in a breast. The good news is that many women can survive breast cancer if it’s found and treated early. In fact, when cancer is detected before it spreads beyond the breast, the five-year survival rate is nearly 99 percent. Now is the time to talk to your doctor about the best screening sched- ule for you. Having that conversation is crucial. Decades of research show that women who have regular mammograms are more likely to have their cancer found early and be cured, the American Cancer So- ciety (ACS) reports. And they’re less likely to need aggressive treatment, such as chemotherapy or removal of the entire breast. The ACS advises that women at average risk of breast cancer: • Have the option to start screening with a mammogram every year between ages 40 and 44 • Get yearly mammograms from age 45 to 54 • Switch to mammograms every other year—or keep having yearly mammograms—at ages 55 and older Your doctor can help determine if you’re at high risk for breast cancer. And he or she will also take into account your personal preferences when advising you on screening. Additional sources: National Cancer Institute Know the Signs Be aware, too, that as crucial as mammograms are, they’re not perfect. No screening test is—and mammo- grams miss some cancers. So watch for these possible warning signs of breast cancer and tell your doctor right away if you have: A lump or mass in your breast Swelling of all or part of a breast, even without a distinct lump Skin irritation or dimpling Breast or nipple pain, or nipple discharge A nipple that turns inward Redness, scali- ness or thicken- ing of the nipple or breast skin BREAST HEALTH Detecting Breast Cancer