3 Reasons to Schedule Your Next Mammogram ASAP

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, when organizations around the country call attention to this major health concern. It’s a critical time to raise awareness and to take action. 

And because more than 700 US women get diagnosed with breast cancer every day, there’s no time like the present to get up to speed on this condition. 

That ranges from understanding the treatment options for breast cancer — and the good news is that several treatments are available, and they’re usually highly effective with a timely breast cancer diagnosis — to preventive measures and screenings.

Here at Burlington OBGYN Associates, we can help with that. Our all-female team of doctors and nurse practitioners offers mammography at our office in Burlington, Massachusetts, and we want you to understand that a routine screening mammogram could save your life.

If you’re over 40, it might be time to start getting this screening on a yearly basis. And if you’re overdue or you’ve been putting it off, let’s look at three reasons to schedule your mammogram ASAP.

Breast cancer is common

It tops the list in terms of cancer cases in the United States. While breast cancer does occur in men, it’s far more common in women. The National Cancer Institute estimates that nearly 300,000 women will be diagnosed with this kind of cancer before the end of 2023. 

Ultimately, you have a one in eight chance of developing breast cancer at some point in your life. Routine mammograms give you a way to monitor your body and catch breast cancer as soon as possible if it does develop.  

Breast cancer is very treatable when it’s caught early

While the number of cases of breast cancer is high, the death rate isn’t. When your doctors detect breast cancer early, your survival odds go way up. In fact, when breast cancer is caught in Stage 1, women have a 98%–100% survival rate after five years. Even when detected at Stage 2, that rate is 90%–99%. 

Routine mammography helps ensure that you and your doctors can get on top of cancer when it’s in its earlier stages. This dramatically increases your odds of living a long, healthy life after diagnosis. 

Mammograms are more effective than ever

Mammography technology has evolved. Rather than the 2D mammograms of the past, our team uses 3D digital mammography to see your breast tissue from more angles. We also leverage computer-aided detection technology in the process.

As a result, the mammogram you get in 2023 is more accurate and less likely to give you a false positive than mammograms of the past. This is an increasingly sophisticated tool designed to help protect your long-term health. 

Breast Cancer Awareness Month serves as a great reminder to schedule a breast cancer screening if you’re due for one. To set up your mammogram, call our office or book your appointment online today.