Dr. Friedewald, what is the number one thing women
should be doing to promote good breast health?
- Get annual screening beginning at age 40.
We find in studies that have been published
that the most lives are saved
if women are screened regularly,
and we recommend every year.
- If you have no family history of breast cancer,
should you be as strict as going in every year,
or can you just say I don't really have family history,
I'll be okay?
- If you look at the absolute numbers of patients
that come through our doors, more patients
who have been diagnosed with breast cancer
don't have a family history of breast cancer
than the ones that do.
So it's important that you get screened regardless
of your family history.
- And you say 40 is age that you need
to start getting your mammograms regularly.
Is there any time that a person can come in before 40?
- So we typically recommend that if you have a family
history of breast cancer, you should come in 10 years
prior to that relative who was diagnosed.
So what does that mean?
If, for example, um, my mother was diagnosed
with breast cancer at age 40, then I should
start getting annual screening mammography
beginning at age 30.
If you have other risk factors
that might suggest a genetic mutation,
then we want to see you as early as age 25.
- On the wake of COVID-19, a lot of people
have put off getting their annual mammograms
and might be a little bit scared to go back
to the hospital or the doctor's office to get that done.
What would you say to us?
- Please don't put off your screening,
even if it seems like there may be a spike in COVID.
Really the hospitals, the centers really
all are very well equipped to handle this situation
now that we understand it a lot better.
- Great information.
Thank you so much, Dr. Friedewald.
- Thanks so much, Jane.
- For more information on breast cancer awareness,
just head to our website, livinghealthytv.com.