October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month! Don’t forget to schedule your annual mammogram at Valley’s Breast Center.
Were you aware:
- In the U.S., one in eight women will develop invasive breast cancer in the course of her lifetime
- Most breast cancers occur in women over the age of 50, and the risk increases with age
- Breast cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death in women in the U.S. (after lung cancer)
- In 2017, an estimated 250,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in the U.S., along with over 60,000 new cases of non-invasive breast cancer.
- About 40,000 deaths due to breast cancer are expected in 2017
- The overall incidence of breast cancer is slightly higher among white, non-Hispanic women than among women of color
- However, breast cancer mortality is higher for women of color compared to white women
- Fewer than five percent of breast cancers occur in women under age 40
- However, breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among women ages 20-39
Improvements in early detection and effective treatment have contributed to a 38 percent decline in breast cancer deaths in the U.S. between 1989 and 2014. According to the American Cancer Society, screening mammograms are recommended for all women starting at age 45, and for certain women starting at age 40. However, only about 68 percent of all women over age 45 report having had a mammogram in the past two years! In the state of Washington, no referral is needed for a screening mammogram. If you cannot afford a mammogram or do not have health insurance, you may qualify for free screening through the Breast, Cervical, and Colon Health Program.
The Breast Center at Valley Medical Center is a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence, and offers two locations- in Renton and in Covington. In addition, the High Risk Breast Cancer Screening Clinic offers personal risk assessment and genetic counseling and testing to women who have a family history of breast cancer and may need increased surveillance.
