We are all fighting cancer every day. Everything we do impacts whether or not our bodies can kill rogue cells that want to grow out of control. That includes what we eat – lots of fresh, local, colorful fruits and veggies are a great place to start – and how much we move – even just a little goes a long way – and even how we rest. Are you taking time for yourself? Sleeping and investing in the relationships you need to feel supported?
No one has it all together, and none of us are going to eat right, exercise, and rest up as much as we need. That’s why it is still important to get those annual health screenings and catch disease early. All women should perform regular, careful, monthly self-breast examinations.(You can learn more about how to perform those in our previous post, “Breast Cancer Awareness: Detection.“)
For women age 40 and older, an annual mammogram is recommended, and this screening can catch cancer while it is still treatable.
Scheduling a mammogram is as easy as talking to your doctor and visiting your local hospital with a physician’s order. To make sure the mammogram is as accurate as possible, patients are told not to wear deodorant, creams, or powders to their appointment as these might interfere with the sensitive equipment.
After the images are taken, a radiologist will interpret the mammogram and send results to the patient’s physician. Sometimes, patients are asked to return for a follow up screening. This doesn’t mean there is a problem, only that additional images are needed for a correct diagnosis.
You can visit our online health library to learn more about breast cancer prevention, detection, and treatment.
