Fast Facts About:
Dispelling Myths About Mammography
The third Friday in October each year is National Mammography Day, first proclaimed in the United States by President Clinton in 1993. On this day (celebrated this year on October 19) or throughout the month, radiologists provide discounted or free screening mammograms. In 1999, more than 2,200 American College of Radiology (ACR) accredited facilities took part.
Screening mammogram plays an important role in the discovery of early breast cancer in women. Yet, African-American women are less likely to get regular screening mammogram when compared to white women. A recent study conducted by the National Cancer Institute found that African-American women are more than twice as likely as white women to die from breast cancer. There are several reasons for this disparity.
Below are some of the most widely myths held by women regarding screening mammogram and the facts that refute those myths.
Myth: I have had one mammogram; that's all I need.
Fact: Being a woman and increasing age are the two greatest risk factors for breast cancer. According to the National Cancer Institute, a woman's chance of being diagnosed with breast cancer is as follows:
By age 30: 1 out of 2,000
By age 40: 1 out of 233
By age 50: 1 out of 53
By age 60: 1 out of 22
By age 70: 1 out of 13
Myth: My family do not have a history of breast cancer, so I am not at risk.
Fact: While family history increases a woman's risk of developing breast cancer, about 90 percent of women with breast cancer have no family history of the disease.
Myth: I can't feel any lumps in my breast, so I don't need to get a mammogram.
Fact: Screening mammography can reduce deaths from breast cancer from 20 to 39 percent among aged 50 and over. Screening mammography can disclose a lump up to two years before it can be felt by either a woman or her physician.
Myth: Mammograms are painful and unsafe because of radiation exposure.
Fact: Mammogram uses less radiation that a dentist's X Ray machine. It exposes a woman to roughly the same amount of radiation encountered on a commercial flight from New-York City to Los Angeles.
Myth: I can't afford a mammogram.
Fact: Most of the insurance companies or Medicare pay for a mammogram once every 12 months for women aged 40 and older. Yearly mammograms are covered by Medicare Part B. Women will be required to pay 20 percent of the Medicare approved amount with no part B deductible. Co-payments are typically in the range of $15 to $25.
Sources: NCI, Ohio KePRO
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