When Experts Say Women Should Have Mammograms

Going in for annual health examinations can be a real pain in the neck. Even so, certain tests are often the only things that stand in the way of patients and potentially life-ending diseases. Such is the case for the standard mammogram and breast cancer. That’s why so many doctors urge their patients to carve out a few minutes each year for these exams.

Mammograms aren’t perfect, but they are the gold standard for enabling early detection and treatment of breast cancer. When these screening exams are conducted on an annual basis, a baseline can be taken and then even the most minute of changes can be detected during follow-ups. That means women who go in for annual checkups are often best positioned to receive early intervention should breast cancer present.

While mammograms are valuable tools for detecting changes in the breasts, not all women submit to these exams as they should. The recommendation for these tests involves the start of yearly checkups around the age of 40. Women who are at higher risk for breast cancer may have physicians that recommend these tests sooner, however. Some doctors may recommend annual exams starting at 40 only if risk factors are present. Experts urge taking the "risk" requirement out of the equation. This is because roughly 75 percent of all women diagnosed with breast cancer happen to have no family history of the disease. In many case, these women may also have none of the major risk factors either.

Considered the second leading cause of cancer deaths among American women, breast cancer claims some 40,000 lives a year in the United States. Women are urged to discuss breast cancer and its risks with their healthcare providers. Those who are age 40 or older should discuss annual mammograms with their physicians, as well. Early detection can often lead to life-saving treatment.

About Author:-Choice Cancer Care is an independent, physician-owned cancer center network. Dr. Gregory Echt, a radiation oncologist with over two decades of experience, is the founder of Choice Cancer Care. Choice Cancer Care is among the busiest practices in the country for brachytherapy, or prostate seed implant therapy – a cancer treatment plan for prostate cancer that provides remarkable success rates and fewer life-limiting side effects.

North Texas based Choice Cancer Care is a physician-owned cancer treatment center. Dr. Gregory Echt, a radiation oncologist specializes in the most highly sophisticated methods of chemotherapy and radiation therapy available today.