{"id":347,"date":"2016-07-06T16:16:19","date_gmt":"2016-07-06T16:16:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rayusradiology.com\/?p=347"},"modified":"2023-02-22T11:53:34","modified_gmt":"2023-02-22T17:53:34","slug":"is-it-ok-to-skip-my-mammogram","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rayusradiology.com\/blog\/is-it-ok-to-skip-my-mammogram\/","title":{"rendered":"Is it OK to Skip my Mammogram?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Casually flipping through a magazine while waiting for her mammogram results, RAYUS patient Andrea Ahlm doesn\u2019t look concerned. Underneath though, she feels a little on edge. In part, it\u2019s because she\u2019s had a breast cancer scare before. Her mammogram caught something and the moment she heard \u201cbiopsy\u201d Andrea says she stopped processing what her doctor was saying. Luckily, the suspicious mass didn\u2019t turn out to be cancer. But she\u2019s had too many friends who haven\u2019t been as fortunate. One close friend in particular tended to skip mammograms and was diagnosed with breast cancer at a late stage.<\/p>\n

\u201cHer cancer did actually metastasize before she caught it,\u201d Andrea explains. \u201cAnd she was one of those that didn\u2019t go to the doctor very often. She was telling everyone, \u2018Get your mammogram every year,\u2019 before she passed away.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bringing her friend\u2019s memory with her to her annual mammogram, Andrea swears she won\u2019t skip an exam and wants to help get the word out to other women.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Putting Off Your Annual Exam<\/h3>\n
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Mammograms can be like flossing your teeth or tracking your monthly budget \u2013 you know you need to do it, but it\u2019s easy to skip. If you\u2019ve missed a mammo (or two) you should know that you\u2019re not alone. Research by the CDC<\/a> suggests that 66% of women over age 40 in the U.S. are getting mammograms regularly, says Dr. Paula George, a breast radiologist at RAYUS\u2019s Midwest Breast Care. The statistic may sound encouraging, except Dr. George says we\u2019re actually losing ground lately.<\/p>\n

\u201cBack in 1987 about 29% of women were getting screening mammograms yearly. In 2009 about 70%, so that was our highest, where we peaked, and now we\u2019re about 66% for the last few years. We have a long way to go to screen all women but there\u2019s definitely a drop in the number of women getting screened.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite the downtrend, the\u00a0American Cancer Society<\/a>\u00a0reports that fewer women are dying from breast cancer, due in part to early detection and increased awareness.\u00a0Dr. Hayley Sheldon<\/a>, a breast radiologist at RAYUS says one-third fewer women are dying today from breast cancer compared to 1990. \u201cThat\u2019s an amazing statistic,\u201d Dr. Sheldon says. \u201cThe mortality has decreased by one-third. We obviously hope it continues to improve and one day no one will die from breast cancer.\u201d<\/p>\n

Watch the video below to learn about getting back on track after skipping an annual mammogram:<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n