October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month - The Importance of Screenings

Statistics show that one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime, regardless of whether they have a family history of the disease. In fact, three out of four women diagnosed have no family history of the disease and are not considered high risk. Maintaining regular mammograms is vital to identifying breast cancer in its earliest stages to increase your chances for a cure.

Mammography is the only proven imaging technology to lower breast cancer mortality. Statistics show that mammography has helped reduce breast cancer mortality in the U.S. by nearly 40 percent since 1990. Technological advances in the field have improved with digital mammography and digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT), also known as 3D. This technology has become widely available and makes some abnormalities easier to see and decreases false positives.  

Mammograms are fairly quick and are covered by nearly all insurances.

Who should have one?

One in six breast cancers occurs in women in their 40s. Annual screening mammography starting at age 40 reduces breast cancer mortality by 30 percent. Women 40 or older should be screened annually.

Being fearful of test results should not keep you from regular screenings. If an abnormality is detected, it doesn’t always mean cancer. Simply put, screening mammography is known to save lives and helps find breast cancer early. Maintaining a regular yearly schedule with mammograms is an important part of taking care of your health.

Lindsay Zeeb, M.D., board-certified diagnostic radiologist, is the medical director of Breast Imaging and the Center for Women’s Health at MyMichigan Medical Center Midland. As a breast imaging specialist, Dr. Zeeb reads and interprets the images produced by mammography, ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), then makes recommendations for further diagnostic testing and treatment. She also conducts image-guided breast biopsies. She believes that patients play a pivotal role in the battle against breast cancer and that keeping up with yearly mammograms can help diagnose cancer early, when it is most curable.