In most cases, breast cancer is a catchable cancer, meaning
that it can be detected in an early stage which makes treatment and recovery
fairly painless. How can you prevent breast cancer? Get a mammogram! Although
mammograms are uncomfortable for most women,
this X-ray of the breast can catch cancer up to three years before you can even
feel something wrong in your breast. This means that breast cancer can be
caught early, if you get a mammogram that is. The CDC recommends that you
recieve 2 mammograms per year if you are between the ages of 50 and 74. The CDC
also has been monitoring the different ages and demographics of women getting
their mammograms. The percentage of women who get mammograms with no highschool
diploma or GED is significantly less than the percentage of women who get
mammograms with a college degree or higher level educational degree. The
percentage of white females recieving mammograms is steadly decreasing. For
more mammogram statistics, go here. Although the CDC has not yet classified
this lack-of-mammograming as an epidemic, measures need to be taken before it
can become an epidemic. Get your biannual mammogram because it can save your
life.
Mammogram
This is really interesting Lucy! I knew that mammograms could detect cancer, but I had no idea that a mammogram could find abnormalities 3 years before you could feel them. I also thought that women only needed to have one mammogram per year. Thanks for presenting all this information!
ReplyDeleteI find this really fascinating. At the moment a major issue in the health system is the lack of medical insurance people have. Many people's biggest argument against universal healthcare is the cost. If the government can find someway to encourage these kinds of early diagnostic tests it could significantly reduce potential costs.
ReplyDelete