October Is Breast Cancer Awareness Month: What You Should Do for Screening

Anytime you can screen for a serious health issue like cancer, it’s an opportunity you shouldn’t miss. Here, we look at updated screening recommendations for breast cancer, which affects one in eight women.

Outside of skin cancer, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women in the United States — the disease affects one in eight women, and nearly 317,000 new diagnoses of breast cancer will be made in 2025. Unfortunately, breast cancer will claim more than 42,000 lives.

Given these eye-opening numbers, it makes sense to take steps to stay one step ahead of breast cancer, which is where we can help guide you. The skilled team of healthcare providers at Michigan Avenue Primary Care believes that preventive care is paramount, especially when it comes to progressive diseases like breast cancer.

Because October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we want to examine some key guidelines for screening.

Why screen for breast cancer?

When it comes to cancer, early intervention can make all the difference, and this is true of breast cancer. The big danger with cancer is when it spreads, and we want to be able to intervene before that happens. Through regular screening, we can catch breast cancer during its earliest stages, which can greatly improve outcomes.

An earlier start for breast cancer screening

When we refer to screening, we’re largely referring to mammography, a specialized X-ray that looks for abnormal growths in breast tissue. If you have dense breast tissue, we may turn to MRI or ultrasound.

It used to be that the recommendation for starting regular mammograms was age 50, but this number has dropped to 40 thanks to an uptick in breast cancer in younger women.

The US Preventive Services Task Force recommends screening every two years between the ages of 40 and 74, if you’re of average risk (more on this in a moment).

The American Cancer Society recommends the following:

Women between 40 and 44 should have the option to screen
Women between 45 and 54 should screen every year
After age 55, women should screen annually or every two years

The good news is that most insurance companies are on board with earlier screening efforts, so you shouldn’t run into any problems. And our team will go ahead and order your mammograms.

Understanding your risks for breast cancer

Like most diseases, some factors can place you more at risk for breast cancer, which means we’ll want to screen more regularly if you:

Have an immediate family member with breast or ovarian cancer
Have a personal history of breast cancer
Have the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genetic mutation
Started your period before age 12
Entered menopause after age 55
Had radiation to your chest before age 30

If you can check any of these boxes, we can discuss a more comprehensive screening and action plan when it comes to breast cancer.

No matter your risks, breast cancer is a clear and present danger for most women, and, through our preventive care, we can help you stay one step ahead of this serious disease.

To discuss breast cancer screening further with one of our primary care providers, please contact us at our clinic in Chicago, Illinois, which is located in The Loop. You can also visit our urgent care center during operating hours, Monday through Friday, 8 am to 4 pm.