October Mammogram Patients Will Receive A Gift!

Owensboro Health encourages women to get regular mammograms because one of the keys to treating breast cancer effectively is to diagnose it early. To show our support during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, all women who get a mammogram in October will receive the gift of a pink face mask. We hope these masks will be worn in the community and possibly increase the conversation about regular screenings.

Who should get a mammogram?

According to the American Cancer Society, women ages 40 to 44 should have the choice to start annual breast cancer screening with mammograms. Women ages 45 to 54 should get mammograms every year. Women 55 and older should switch to mammograms every 2 years, or continue yearly screening.

What does a mammogram do?

A mammogram is a low-dose x-ray that allows doctors to look for changes in breast tissue. A mammogram can often detect breast cancer when it’s small - even before a lump can be felt.

Owensboro Health offers two kinds of mammograms:

• Digital Mammogram – Provides a better view of your tissue than a traditional film-screen mammogram and can detect Cancer earlier.
• 3-D Mammogram (breast tomosynthesis) – Can detect breast cancer sooner than traditional mammography and reduce the likelihood of false alarms; ask for 3-D mammography if a previous mammogram revealed that you have dense breast tissue.

How common is breast cancer?

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in American women, except for skin cancers. Currently, the average risk of a woman in the United States developing breast cancer sometime in her life is about 13%. This means there is a 1 in 8 chance she will develop breast cancer.

In recent years, the chance that a woman will die from breast cancer has decreased to about 1 in 38. This decrease is believed to be the result of finding breast cancer earlier through screening and increased awareness, as well as better treatments.