Squeeze in your mammogram

October is breast cancer awareness month, and if there’s one MYTH that we need to debunk is that mammograms cause breast cancer. The TRUTH is the opposite: mammograms save lives by catching cancer early, when it's most treatable.

Unfortunately, this myth keeps too many women from getting screened on time, says Adriana Suarez-Ligon, MD, FACS, medical director at The Breast Center at Montefiore Nyack Hospital. The radiation dose from a modern mammogram is extremely low, and the benefit of early detection far outweighs it. Delaying a mammogram is the real risk—not the mammogram itself.

A mammogram is an imaging test with low dose x-rays that take pictures of the breast. It is used to take a deeper look and show what may not be felt during a physical exam.

For women who are at average lifetime risk of breast cancer, Dr. Suarez recommends a screening mammogram to begin at the age of 40. However, patients at high lifetime risk of breast cancer should be evaluated by a breast surgeon for high-risk screening plans that could include additional breast imaging, such as breast MRI, medications to lower risk, and even surgical risk reduction.

Patients with a family history of breast cancer should begin screening as early as 10 years prior to the age at which their first or second-degree relative was diagnosed, she advises. Early breast cancer screening should also be discussed with a breast surgeon to ensure appropriate imaging is ordered and follow-up of imaging is complete with a plan of action.

For more information or to schedule your mammogram, visit www.montefiorenyack.org/services/breastcenter or call 845-348-8551.